Running From Fate
by AkumatizedPancake
Summary: Marinette is a girl who loves to sew, but she cannot because of a terrible curse placed upon her. Adrien Agreste is a prince who wishes he wasn't. Sleeping Beauty AU. Updated every Tuesday at around half five Irish/UK time.
1. Chapter 1

***This idea just sprang to mind one day. It was originally going to be a Sleeping Beauty AU, but it has elements of Brave to it. Please enjoy it, and I would appreciate some feedback. Thank you!***

I pressed my ear hard to the door, waiting for my parent's footsteps to pass by my room. My mother's, quick and light, came first. I heard her by my door and I felt myself tense. I wasn't supposed to be awake. I kept feeling my eyelids droop, but I still waited. When my father's clunky, awkward steps occurred I leapt towards my dresser and pulled it away carefully, not to awake my parents, to reveal a hidden box, which I kept secret to everyone but Alya and Tikki.

I reached in and grabbed my sewing kit. It wasn't much, but it was all I had. It contained a few needles, some thread and a few scraps of fabric, which I had salvaged from old clothes, but it meant the world to me. All my life, I've wanted to design clothing, but my parent forbid it. I think they want me to be a baker, just likethem. They don't understand me very much, but I don't mind. They're my parents, and I love them. Still, I can't pull myself away from fashion.

Tikki must have heard me as I fumbled to light the candle on my bedside table. She's is a kwami. There are millions of kwamis and each one is connected to a certain human. Their job, other than companionship, is to tell us our destiny. Not our death day or our future spouse, but our purpose. Even then, only a vague description like hero or king or, more commonly, baker. The telling of fate always occurs on your 16th birthday.  
Mine is in two days.

Tikki sighed. She disapproved of my sewing dreams as much as my parents, but she let me express my creativity like the sweet kwami she is.  
"Really?" She piped. "Your telling of fate is in two days. Shouldn't you be resting?"  
I threaded the needle carefully before answering.  
"Yeah, but I'm nearly finished this."

She was awake now. She zoomed to my shoulder and perched on my shoulder.

I gestured towards the dress I was concocting. I had scraped up enough for red and black fabric with the money I had been given for my birthday last year. I decided on a ladybug pattern, red with black spots, and I had started sewing about two months ago, but the design process had taken for what felt like forever. The dress was for the annual masquerade ball. I've always wanted to attend, but it's only for 16 and older. Lucky for me, it was on my birthday.

"I only have a day, Tikki."  
She eyed the needle like it was a sword.  
"Alright, just be careful."  
"It's just sewing."

She snorted like she knew something I didn't. Well she did, but you know what I mean.

 **MLBMLBMLBMLBMLB**

I was exhausted as I walked down the stairs. The dress that I was working on took two hours to finish. Tikki told me off during the entire time, but it was worth it. The bottom step creaked loudly, as usual.

"Papa! You said you were going to fix that."  
"Sorry, Marinette." He grinned. "Happy day before your birthday!"

My mother chuckled.

"I have to meet Alya before school." I told them. Papa's kwami, Raba, zoomed in with my usual morning croissant.  
"Thank you." I automatically replied before rushing out the door. Alya was waiting for me and grinned.  
"Hey." She said.  
Trixx waved to Tikki from Alya's shoulder.  
"Hi." I replied.

We started towards school. Alya and I had the same birthday and she was probably the most excited about her telling of fate than anyone else in Paris. She's never had those princess daydreams, like I had, but she has always wanted to save people. Our childhood games were the hero (Alya) saves the princess (me) from a vicious dragon. A non-existent character usually played the dragon. When we got older, she started to spar with wooden spoons, forks and once, knives. Her mother nearly killed her.

I always supported Alya's hero fantasies, but deep down I knew that she could never manage it. Only men were given the title of hero. Still, I humored her. Alya's been my best friend since we were born. Our mothers were childhood friends and always took us for walks in the woods together.  
We reached the school with me veering to a different topic when she mentioned fate. I was not eager to talk yet.

School flew by, landing us with a pile of homework to finish over the weekend. Alya and me headed to a nearby café with Nino, our other friend. We always went over there after school on Fridays, and Alya fixed us something to eat. Her mother ran the café. The bell above the door rattled as Nino pushed the door open.

"Hi, Mrs. Cessaire!" I chirped towards the woman who was cleaning a table in the far corner.  
"Hello, Marinette." She replied with a smile. "Big day soon?"  
"Massive." I pulled a face and sat down across from Nino.

The place was practically empty. A cluster of elderly women sipped tea at a table for four over a book. Nino stared at the ceiling. He was a confirmed musician, like he's always wanted to be. Apparently he would get a long and happy life. His kwami had told him so.

Alya placed slices of toast with cheese on top in front of us. The red cheddar had melted slightly into a semi molten, sticky layer. I took a large bite and wiped the remnants away with the back of my hand. Alya had also brought in a cookie for Tikki, which she seized and then started breaking off small chunks.  
Alya plunked herself down beside Nino.

I hadn't met either of there eyes all day. Alya must have caught on.  
"Hey, it can't be that bad." She said encouragingly. "It's not like you're the cursed one. I mean she's got it bad. Very bad."

I sighed. The cursed one is a ridiculous story meant to scare young children into never defying Hawkmoth. Apparently the girl was given something that the sorcerer wanted as a baby, and he just went into the house and demanded it. The parents of the girl refused. Just point blank refused. He flew into a rage. No one knows why he didn't just take it. Instead, he cursed the girl. When she grows to the age of 17, she will somehow No one knows what the object was, what the curse was or even whom the girl is. I always scoffed at the story but I was thankful for the support.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

It was half eleven. Mama and Papa had called Tikki and I downstairs. Papa passed me a mug of hot tea. I didn't drink it; I just held my nose over it and breathed in the sweet scent. They gave Tikki a cookie too. I let my mind wander to the dress I was secretly concocting in my room. I imagined every fault I had found, and how to improve it. I created the perfect dress in my head. Before I knew it, Tikki was prodding me.

"It's nearly time."  
I bit my lip. _Seamstress._ I thought desperately. My heart throbbed.  
I stared at the clock.  
Five minutes. Four. Three. Two. Thirty seconds.

The grandfather clock chimed. My eyes went straight to Tikki's, as did my parents.

Tikki sighed.  
"Marinette Dupain-Cheng, your destiny was to become an amazing seamstress."  
I stared in confusion.  
"Was?"

Tikki looked towards my parents. My mother stood up.  
"Mari, when you were a baby, you were gifted earrings by the local healer. The earrings you wear today, in fact."  
I lifted a hand to my earrings. I'd had them ever since I could I can remember.

They meant a lot to me and I never took them off.

"When you were a year old, he came for them and we didn't let him take them."  
I forgot my mother was speaking.  
"Mama, Who came for them?"  
"Marinette, Hawkmoth came for them." Tikki chimed in softly.  
I choked. This sounded way too familiar.  
"No… No, Tikki, I can't be her."  
"Mari, He cursed you. When you turn 17, you will prick your finger on a sewing needle and fall into a endless sleep."

I felt my knees collapse.  
I was the girl. I was the cursed girl.  
"I-I need some time." I said and sprinted out the door. I ran towards the woods and didn't look back.


	2. Chapter 2

**This chapter is from Adrien's point of view. Thank you for struggling through chapter 1 and continuing to read my terrible writing!**

"Adrien, I'm hungry." The small black cat wailed as he hovered above my shoulder.  
"You're always hungry, Plagg." I told him as I ducked a tree branch.

How I ended up with the most annoying and stubborn kwami is still a mystery to me. I had to feed him all day and cater to his every need or else he would complain more. I reached into my satchel and pulled out a slice of stinking Camembert cheese, the only thing Plagg will eat, and tossed it at him. He chewed with loud noises. For some reason, Camembert is hard to come by. Luckily enough, I could send for some and it would be brought to me. I could probably lie on a couch for the rest of my days and have every need cared for, every whim achieved. I was taught by a hoard of schoolteachers who resided in my house. I learned swordplay in the yard and piano in the parlor. It grew tiring. Sadly, my telling of fate confirmed I was a future king. Yay.

I was hoping for a destiny a little more boring like a baker or a shopkeeper, something that didn't cause me any attention and allowed me to go outside to make a few more friends. Chloe was all I had, and that's not saying much. She was a nice kid growing up, but slowly morphed into an obnoxious brat. She tended to treat anyone else like they were dirt under her fingernails. She had another friend other than me, Sabrina, and she seemed nice enough, but Chloe treats her like a slave.

I sighed as a twig hit me in the face. I had decided to go for a walk in the woods, in the middle of the night, without my bodyguard. I managed to shake him off by pretending I was asleep and then abseiling out my window, using a coil of rope that I had snagged earlier in the week. I figured my plan was quite well thought out at the time, but now I worked out many things that could go wrong; My bodyguard could enter my room once more and discover I was missing, someone could hear me trudging along or even just spot the rope dangling outside my window. Even if all goes well, how was I supposed to sneak back in? I could always try and climb back up, but the rope may not hold me. The gate was always locked at nighttime so I couldn't try the frontal assault approach. I supposed I would have to wait it out and face the consequences.

"This is stupid." Plagg whined. "It's cold and late and I'm hungry."  
"I just fed you!" I complained. "Besides, I just had a feeling."

It was true. I had always had this strange pull towards the woods, but it was oddly stronger today. I don't know why, but something important was in there, and I wanted to find it.

"Your feelings are annoying."

I sighed again. My mother would have supported my urges. I think I inherited the trait from her. When her kwami fell ill, she did. When Duussu died, she did. I miss her, a lot. She told me she loved me every night before I fell asleep. There is a portrait of her in the great hall, painted by her. I liked to stand in front of it and imagine the painted eyes were the real ones. I had a lot of conversations with her in my head, but they weren't great replacements for the actual ones.

"I'm telling you, there is something-" I was interrupted by loud, noisy sobs.

I had only heard crying like that once before. It was six years ago, when a female baker plead to my father to help her 10-year-old daughter, who had been cursed by Hawkmoth. I was in the room at the time and I watched her broke down in front of him, and he turned aside. My father turned away a desperate woman, because she had nothing to give. That's when I stopped talking to him.

The wailing girl sounded just like the woman my father ignored. I looked at Plagg, who then told me,  
"I think the _something_ was a _someone_."

I nodded in agreement and sprinted off toward the noise.

 **MLBMLBMLBMLB**

I found the source of the crying in about five to ten minutes. I had brought a lantern on my walk, so I could see a girl my age that was curled up into a ball and was clutching her leg. Her black hair poured over her face. Her breathing was short and rapid, but she seemed to be trying to calm herself down.

I rushed over to her.

"What happened? Did someone hurt you?"

She looked up and tried to contain herself.

"I tripped over that stupid tree stump," she said viciously while pointing towards the stupid tree stump, "and now my stupid leg will not work." She finished with a wince.

I looked at her stupid leg. It didn't look broken, but it was terribly bruised and I didn't think it would support her. I thought about how to get her out of the woods. Walking wasn't an option, and I couldn't carry her. There was no road going through the area and even if there were, no one else would be outside past midnight. My only option was to give her something to support her as she walked. I picked up a nearby tree branch.

"Ok, I'm going to help you to your feet."

She nodded and slowly let go of her leg. I gently lifted her to her onto one foot and she wobbled a little, but kept her balance. I handed the branch to her.

"Where do you live?" I asked her so I knew where we were going.  
"Do you know the Dupain-Cheng bakery?"  
I nodded.  
"Do you live near there?"  
She smiled a little.  
"My parents own the bakery."

I gasped. I considered the bakery a magical place when I was a kid. They made the most amazing baked goods ever known to mankind. Cookies, croissants, quiche, you name it. If it was there, I have most likely eaten some of it. Me and my mom would go in and buy cookies every Monday.

"Your parents are wizards."  
She laughed.  
"What's your name?" I asked as we started through the trees.  
"Marinette, and yours?"  
"Adrien."  
"And I'm Tikki!" A small voice piped from inside Marinette's purse.  
"Plagg." Plagg muttered from inside my satchel, his mouth sounding suspiciously full.

We trudged on. I didn't know people very well, but Marinette seemed nice enough. She didn't try to ask me questions, which was nice because I didn't want her to work out I was the future king and start bowing or something. I liked how she treated me like anyone else, something I didn't know very well. However, I wanted to know everything about her. Her school, her friends, her aspirations. She seemed a little taken a back with my non-stop questions, but she answered them without hesitation. I wanted to know how normal people lived.

"So, what were you doing in the woods after midnight?" I asked. It seemed like a innocent question, but something in her slumped.  
"Today is my 16th." She muttered  
"Oh." I said, realization dawning on me. "So, that means your telling of fate wasn't too long ago, right?"  
"Right." She was speaking quietly now. "A matter of hours ago. That's why I was out in the woods. I-I didn't like my destiny very much. I've always wanted to design but…" She trailed off, but I completed her sentence.  
"You aren't supposed to be."  
"Exactly. So, I tried to run away but I didn't bring any rations or anything. I suppose I should count myself lucky that the tree stump nearly killed me."  
I laughed.  
"Don't worry, I tried to run away when I heard my destiny, equally unprepared."

We walked on. I knew she wanted to ask what was so terrible that I had to run away from it, but she didn't. Probably out of respect. We eventually reached the quiet street.

"Well, I should be getting back now." I told her.  
"At least come in for a second so I can see if I can fix you a box of cookies or something."  
That was tempting. I liked cookies, but I didn't want to impose.  
"No, that's fine."  
"Are you sure?"  
"Yeah."

She frowned but didn't say anything.

I looked over at the sun rising. I needed to get home. I was probably in huge trouble.  
"It was nice to meet you, Marinette."  
"And you, Adrien." She hobbled over to the bakery and opened the door. I watched her close it before turning towards home.

Plagg, who had been quiet this entire time, suddenly showed his face.  
"So, you already have a girlfriend."

I laughed again. "She's just a friend." I looked up at the orange tinged sky. "A friend."


	3. Chapter 3

**This was very hard to write, and I wasn't really sure how to end it, but I hope you like it anyways. I noticed that I haven't really set any dates for updating, but Tuesdays are normally going to be the day. If I miss an update, I'll try and get it up as soon as possible. Again, Thank you for continuing to read my story.**

 **Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug**

It was early when I woke up. I groaned and blinked through the darkness. I could make out the rough shape of Tikki napping on the side of my pillow. My eyes glanced over to where I kept my sewing kit. If it were yesterday, I would have seized it eagerly but know, not so much. I remembered my destiny. Oh, why couldn't it be a spinning needle rather than a sewing needle. I hated my restless mind could take no more of my pitch black room, I lit my bedside candle and held it in one hand as I climbed down the stairs, gripping the stick Adrien had given me.

I made my way downstairs and sat down at the tiny table in my kitchen. The house was eerily silent except for my deep and noisy breaths. I stared at the flickering flame as it danced in the air. I tried to clear my mind but eventually I just slammed my head on the table and let the evil thoughts envelope my mind. I was never going to grow old or have children or even become an adult. Or would I? Would I grow old as I slept or would I stay 17 forever? I suppose that the real question was, would I even wake up? Would I ever see Alya again? There were too many questions, too many possible answers that I didn't want to hear.

I was hardly aware that my father came down a few hours later. He had to get up earlier than everyone else to start work at the bakery. I only noticed he was up and about when he saw me collapsed in hopeless lump at the table and put his hand on my shoulder. His grip was firm.

"Maybe we can work on fixing that step at some point." He said with a sad smile.  
"Maybe." I replied, but I wasn't sure I wanted to spend one of my numbered days on fixing a staircase.

Tikki came down next and curled up on my shoulder. I realized I was still in my nightgown but I didn't care. I stared out a nearby window and watched as the sun slowly crept up the sky. I didn't realize my mother was awake until she placed a steaming plate of scrambled eggs and toast in front of me, my favorite breakfast. I picked up the fork which she had placed in fornt of me and twirled it in my fingers. I hadn't realized how hungry I was until now, and the temptation was too great. The food was suddenly gone and I was clearing my plate. Mother smiled at me.

"You should get dressed. You're going to meet up with Alya today."

I nearly swore.

"Oh man, I forgot." I slowly tried to stand up, leaning on the stick for support, but I stumbled and tripped. I landed on my injured leg and pain shot through it like a bullet. I gasped and my mother rushed to my aidbutI waved her away and righted myself with the stick. I loved that stick.

I quickly changed into my usual drab blue dress and grabbed the present that I had made for Alya's birthday. It was a bracelet made from beads which I had bought to decorate my dress for the dance, but never used. My eyes widened. The dance! I would never be able to dance with my leg and I would be too weak to stand for long. I would have to miss it. My shoulders slumped even more with disappointment, but I quickly shook it off and headed downstairs and walked out of the house.

It took me twice as long to get to Alya's family restaurant. I noticed a lot of things on the walk, including how high the sun had managed to climb in the sky and how freaking hot it was. My dress was stuck to my skin with sweat and my hair was plastered to my forehead.

Familiar faces smiled at me from across the street. Myléne's father waved and called a greeting in my direction, while Sabrina's father nodded tersely in my direction and then ignored me totally.

The bell above the restaurant door rang cheerfully, probably just to make me feel worse, which alerted Alya of my arrival. She seized me and dragged me straight back out of the building.

"Mari, you have no idea what I have to tell you!" She squealed excitedly.

"Well, don't just stand there, tell me." I prompted, curiosity building. I had to put away my depressed self for a while and take normal Marinette out to play.

"I'm going to be a hero! The first female hero!" She practically screamed. Heads turned towards are direction, but I ignored them and cheered

"That's amazing." I hugged her. "You're so lucky."

"Not as lucky as you. So, tell me, what's your destiny?"

I shrugged.

"Can we not talk about this right now?" I muttered, but that didn't stop her frequent questions and chatter on the subject. Eventually she dragged the explanation of my injury from me. I left nothing out. I told her about how my dress snagged on the tree stump and the sound of the thump as I slammed against the ground and how Adrien came and lifted me to my feet, his face illuminated by the light in his lantern. Then her questioning moved onto the topic of Adrien. I explained how he looked, how he talked, and every single one of his queries. She seemed excited about him, but bit her lip when I asked if she knew him.

"I know a lot of people, but only one named Adrien, and I doubt he could be the one you're on about."

"It might be him" I said uncertainly. I wanted to thank him better than I did, maybe show up at his house with a box of baked goods from the bakery. He did say he liked them, or was he just trying to be polite when he complimented my parent's workplace? Man, I was thinking way to much into this.

"Well, why would the prince be walking in the woods in the middle of the night?" She grinned.

I nearly slapped myself on the head. I forgot the prince's name was Adrien. My family never talked about politics in the house. We just paid our taxes without complaint and said nothing more. Alya was right. There was no chance the Adrien in her mind was the Adrien in mine. I shut up about him for the rest of the walk to our hiding place. It was a secluded spot by the river Seine, just inside the city boundaries. You could sit right up beside the river and look over to the rolling hills on the other side. It was hard enough to get into though. You had to dart between some trees and jump a few fallen ones, but then you just had to peel back the curtain of ivy which dangled in front of it before you could sit down.

We crouched down right up by the river and I gave her my present. Her eyes lit up with delight.

"Aw, It's gorgeous. Thanks, Mari!" She said cheerfully, but then her face turned serious.

"So, what was your destiny?"

I sighed. Alya was stubborn, possibly enough to rival my own stubbornness. We had exhausted the topic of Adrien, so I should have been expecting it, but I still didn't to talk. I hoped that if I stayed silent she would change subjects, so I let my gaze fall onto the river.

"It can't be that bad. I mean, it's not like you're-"

"I swear, if you say the cursed one I am going to strangle you." I snapped, previous statment forgotten.

The rest of her sentence died in her throat.

"Mari..." She said, "what's worng?"

"I am the freaking cursed one!" I screamed. "I'm going to prick my finger on a sewing needle and fall into a deep sleep forever!" I finally let the tears that I had been holding for the entire night and day flow. They streamed down my face and dripped onto my dress, combining with the sweat. I clutched my knees and made these terrible, sobbing noises. Then Alya started to cry too, and suddenly we were two bes tfriends, who needed to face their last year together, because one of them was as good as dead.


	4. Chapter 4

Cats. Of all the things, my father chose cats. The costume wasn't even that good either. The black leather suit was plain enough and the pointed ears were bearable, but the fluffy tail was completely over the top. I quickly discarded of the furry mess and changed. The costume was for the annual masquerade ball, which I was old enough to attend for the first time. I wish my father had grounded me for escaping last night and forbidden me from going, because I was dreading it, but he just yelled at me for a bit instead. I slipped the mask onto my face and slowly made my way downstairs.

"Good morning, Adrien." My father's assistant Nathalie said and placed a piece of paper into my hand. "Your schedule."

I skimmed through it quickly. It left most of the day free, except for the dance. I glanced over towards the table, where a full breakfast was set and waiting. Then I headed out the door and walked into the woods to get to town. My bodyguard, who I called Gorilla, trailed behind me, but by several feet. My stomach grumbled, but I had a destination set. My encounter with Marinette gave me the urge to go to the bakery, for old times' sake. I could imagine my mom was beside me, prompting me to decide.

The woods were calm and green and smelt like fresh pines. The heavy footsteps of gorilla broke several twigs behind me, making me jump with every step. I was relieved when I reached the paved road of a small village, just outside of town, and his clomps quietened. As I walked through it, I saw several other people in masks. That was normal though. The custom was to dress up as some kind of animal for the entire day, and not reveal your identity to anyone. It might seem easy to work out who was behind the mask, but apparently, it wasn't. My father met my mother at the masquerade. She was a peacock, Nathalie had told me, and she shone like the sun. Father spent years attempting to track her down, and he eventually found her. I reached the edge of the village and sighed as the noisy cracks behind me resumed.

I smiled as I tried to picture my mom in a royal blue dress and feathered cape. A peacock. It was perfect for her. She was graceful like a bird on the dance floor, and anywhere else for that matter. I was so caught up in my daydreams that I didn't notice when I crashed into an eight-year-old girl.

She fell to the floor with a startled expression on her face, which was quickly replaced by a grumpy one.

"Watch where you're going." she snapped and got to her feet.

"Are you okay?" I asked, deciding to ignore the rudeness.

"I'm fine." She tapped her foot impatiently. "Have you seen a girl with brown hair and about this high?" She stood up on her tip-toes and stuck her hand in the air to gesture the person's height. "She's my sister."

"No" I said. "Do you need a hand?"

She shrugged. "Sure."

I was aware of The Gorilla's heavy breathing behind me and I turned towards him. "I'm going to help find the girl. You can go home, if you want."

He scowled, but I scowled back and he started to trudge home.

"What's your sister's name?" I asked the kid.

"Alya." She started to call the name several times. "Alya! Alya!"

The name sounded familiar. As I followed the girl, I tried to remember. The it struck me. Marinette had mentioned Alya, her best friend, several times. By several times, I mean at least twice a minute. I got a little excited, but not too much. I didn't know Marinette, but the excitement spread from getting to meet more people, even if the person was the best friend of a girl who you met the night before.

We searched for about half an hour before we came to a wall of ivy. The girl squealed excitedly.

"This has got to be the place! She and Mari took me here once or twice when I was younger."

I nodded, pretending I didn't know who 'Mari' was. The girl put her hand on the ivy and pushed through. I followed her and gasped. The view was breath taking. The river lapped at the edge of the bank, where two girls were sitting.

"Alya!" the eight-year-old girl said in an exasperated tone. "Mama says that you need to come back now." Alya turned to reveal puffy eyes.

"Right." She muttered and placed her hand on the other girls, I realized it was Marinette's, shoulder to steady herself as she stood up. Her brown eyes met mine.

"Who are you?" she said coolly.

I felt another sweat break out. I had been damp the entire day, but now even more so. I mean, black leather in a blazing sun was not a good combination.

"I'm, um, Chat Noir." I made up. "Chat Noir, that's me."

"Right." She took a protective stance over towards her sister.

"No Alya, he helped me find you."

Marinette had finally turned around, probably to witness the drama happening behind her. Her eyes were bloodshot and puffier than Alya's, and she had dark circles around them as well. Her face was pale and tear streaked, her shoulders slumped forward in a way that my appearance focused father would have disapproved of. In other words, she was a complete mess.

"Oh." Alya said. "Thanks." She parted the ivy for her sister to walk through. "Mari, you'll come to the dance, right?"

Marinette looked up.

"I can't really dance. I'm just going to miss it."

Alya started to protest, but Marinette waved her away.

"Bye, Alya."

"Bye, Marinette."

Alya left, but I lingered.

"Are you ok?" I asked the mess in front of me.

She frowned.

"Fine." I could tell she wanted to me to go away, but she was too polite. However, I caught the drift. She was helped by Adrien, not Chat Noir. I no longer wanted to go into town and my schedule probably didn't allow me too. Most people would consider the trip wasted, but it was nice to do something for someone who wasn't me. It was also interesting to see people who were normal. Was Marinette normal? I remembered that she was saying how crap her destiny was, and now she was crying her eyes out.

I was about to leave through the wall of ivy, but as my fingers grazed the leaves, I turned around.

"You know, you should go to the dance."

She looked at me again.

"I can't dance. What's the point of going?"

She gestured to her injured leg. I noticed that she kept the stick I gave her yesterday.

"Well, you could always stand at the side, or sit, whatever."

She set her gaze back at the river.

"Maybe."

I finally eft.

 **MLBMLBMLBMLB**

The dance was hot, humid and boring.

Hundreds of people crowded into the ballroom. From nobles to street kids, everyone was welcome, as long as they were of age and behaved. The kwami's were a symbol of identity, so they soared towards the roof and mingled with one another. I swear I kept seeing a black blur coming back and forth from the cheese stand every five seconds, and the camembert was mysteriously disappearing. I shook my head, glad that no one knew it was my kwami. The good thing about the 'secret identity' was that I could escape my reputation and my destiny. I talked to people, and they chatted back like I was an equal, but they were bland, boring people who wanted to gossip and criticize the choice of musicians or how the noble lady was dressed. I tried to slip unnoticed into the corner, hoping that my black suit would give the impression of shadows. I failed.

I scanned the crowd for anyone who looked friendly. I didn't see a young girl with a walking stick, so I assumed Marinette didn't decide to go. However, I did see a girl my age in a fox get up who was slumped over in a chair. Alya, I guessed. I was helping myself to a cookie when the door opened again. I glanced over my shoulder and froze. No one else took any notice of the girl in the ladybug pattered dress, but I did.


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: I do not own Miraculous Ladybug**

My stick went flying into the air. I had only moved my hand a little bit, but the small movement nudged it into the river. I watched as the current pulled it away in the torrent of water. I reached out towards my precious stick and then let my hand drop to my side. I looked up at the blazing sun, which had halfway completed its journey to the horizon. My parents would be getting worried if I stayed any longer, but I couldn't move. I glanced at my useless leg and scowled at it.

"I hate you." I told it and tentatively stood up. Then pain was burning and sore and terrible. I crumpled back to the ground and my leg relaxed. It was so tempting to just lie there forever and ever, but I got up again. It took several tries, but I eventually stood up and limped towards a tree. I leant against the rough bark to steady myself. Then I reached for the next one. It took me awhile, but I dragged myself home. My leg had long since reached maximum soreness, but I had managed to be able to ignore the pain so it wasn't that bad anymore. I upgraded from reaching from tree to tree to walking slowly.

The bell above the bakery door rang, signaling my arrival. I immediately found the nearest chair and slumped into it. My mother, who was in the room at the time, turned towards me.

"Are you ok, Mari?" Then she noticed something else. "Where's your stick?"

"It fell into the river." I muttered, just loud enough for her to hear me.

"Oh, that's no problem. Papa can just buy you a new one when he goes into town today."

I nodded and slowly made my way upstairs.

My room was messy. I must have been more careless than I thought that morning; Clothing was strewn across my bed and trinkets were spilled all over the floor. I sighed and started to pick up odd items here and there and placing them in various places. I bundled my soft clothing into a roundish bundle and threw it into my wardrobe.

"There," I said to myself. "Clean."

I put my head on the pillow and closed my eyes. I relished the short relieve of darkness and quiet, until a loud banging noise at the downstairs door forced me to peel them open again.

 _Tax Collectors,_ I thought miserably. They knew it was open, but they always knocked. I heard the emotionless voice of my mother answering the door and the clank of metal as she handed over the coins. Then the door, and my eyes, slammed shut again.

It only took a matter of minutes before I decided that sleep would never come. My mind automatically wandered to the dress which I had spent so long working on and never got to wear. Could I go to the dance? The strange cat boy said I should, but was the strange cat boy right? I put some weight on my leg and winced. The pain burned, but then eased off into a dull throb. I stood up and took a few small steps. The throbbing didn't stop, but it didn't get any worse either. I walked around the small room a few times with minimal limping. It wasn't even noticeable. Maybe I had walked it off going through the woods. I then took out the dress.

The red fabric, littered with black spots, was soft to the touch. My fingers brushed the surface, considering my options. I could go to the dance and make a complete and utter fool of myself, or I could stay home and make myself miserable. Both options seemed terrible, but Alya would be at the dance and I wouldn't have to be alone. I clutched the dress carefully and held it up to my chest. In that moment, I decided that I wanted to go and have fun.

I changed into my masterpiece and slipped on the matching mask that I had concocted in my spare time. By spare time, I meant that I had worked on it when I was supposed to be asleep. I went to the upstairs bathroom because it's the only room in our house with a mirror in it, other than my parents' bedroom, and peered into the glass. I looked different. My hair was the same shade of black, and my eyes were the same bluebell color, but it was amazing how much one strip of fabric over my eyes could do. I was unrecognizable. Tikki hovered beside my shoulder.

"I know just the thing." She piped and zoomed off in a blur of red. She came back at the same speed, but this time she had red ribbons clutched in her arms. I didn't know how she got them. Kwamis didn't believe in the money system that humans did, and there weren't any kwami shops. I decided I didn't want to know.

"They're perfect!" I squealed and took them off her. I unwrapped my usual, drab blue ribbons which held up my pigtails and switched them for the red ones. They curled at the ends and brushed my shoulders. I reached out and touched one; it felt silky and soft. I ran my fingers over it a few times before dragging myself out of the bathroom and into my bedroom to get my shoes. I was swapping my brown ones for a black pair that were used only for special events, like my aunts wedding and when we went to a posh restaurant for my last birthday, exactly a year ago. Then I headed downstairs, the last step creaking again. Papa needed to fix that. I peeked around before leaving. I didn't want my parents asking about my costume. I was still forbidden to sew.

It hadn't gotten any colder, but my dress was designed to be as cool as possible. I clambered down the empty street, my steps echoing against the walls. I headed towards the palace; The masquerade ball was held there every year. I could see it gleaming, towering above all the other buildings. The sun glowed on the horizon, the oranges and reds blending into a hue which that I can only describe as flames. The sky was on fire.

The giant, oak wood doors of the castle were wide open to reveal the glowing entrance hall. I stepped inside. My leg wasn't showing any sign of injury, even if it stung a little. The hall was decorated with portraits of the royal family. I slowed at the frame portraying the current king, his diseased wife and his son, Adrien. The picture was too stiff and formal. No one in it looked happy, not even the wife. I continued into the ballroom.

I was on a balcony overlooking the festivities with steps on either side. I lifted my dress a little and headed down the one on the right, while scanning the crowd for Alya. She said she would be going as a red fox by the name of Volpina, while I would be going as Ladybug. I hadn't been thinking about a name while designing the dress, but I'd grown attached to Ladybug. I finally spotted a flash of orange and headed in her direction. I tapped her shoulder and she turned.

"Marinette? Is that you?"

"Names, Volpina." I teased.

"Right." She sighed. "Ladybug? Is that you?"

"Yup."

She squealed.

"Oh my gosh, you actually came!" She squeezed my shoulders.

"You look so pretty." I told her, and she did. Her brown hair, which had a hairband with ears attached lying in it, dangled just past her chin. Her dress was made by a tailor; I had offered but she'd politely declined on the fact that I was 'way too busy'. Her dress was orange, which I had wrinkled my nose at but she pulled off, with long waves of fabric tumbling down to the floor. It dragged on the polished marble.

"Speak for yourself." I could tell she was raising an eyebrow under her mask. I was about to answer back with a joke, but a strange feeling came over me. Like someone was watching me. I turned and met the green eyes of the odd, cat boy from the river a few hours earlier.

He dropped his gaze, but I could feel he was watching me from the corner of his eye.

"He's been watching you ever since you came in." Alya chimed in, obviously reading my mind. "Chat Noir, he said he was."

"Chat Noir." I repeated and turned back to her, who was still gazing intently over my shoulder. Her eyes widened.

"Oh crap, he's coming over." She tilted her head up towards the sky. "I'm going to go get Trixx and Tikki some food."

"What?" I protested "No- don't leave me all alone."

"Chill out, Ma-Ladybug," she said, and left. I looked helplessly in her direction.

I felt a tap at my back. I turned and there was Chat Noir, just like Alya had said.

"Um, hi." He bounced on his heels.

"Hi" I replied politely. "I'm Ladybug."  
The corners of his mouth twitched. "Creative. I'm Chat Noir."

"And you said my name wasn't creative."

"Well, how about we start a lame names club."

"Deal" I joked. "So, what brings you to the dance?"

"It wasn't my choice. I don't really dance."

"Same" I admitted. Alya thought I was a dancer, but I was always embarrassed to tell her I had two left feet.

We talked for a while. I think Alya was purposefully trying to let me have a social life, which I had, with a masked stranger. A new discovery: Chat liked to pun. Cat puns, ladybug puns, you name it, he did it and they were annoying. So annoying. I couldn't bear it. When the clock struck midnight, I nearly cursed.

"I got to go." I muttered and attempted to leave, but he caught my wrist.

"I'll see you around." He grinned.

"You wish." I returned the smile and headed out the door. His gaze was still on me, but I didn't look back.

 **I would like to point out that the way Marinette deals with her injury DOES. NOT. WORK. If you're leg is like Marinette's, sit down and rest. Please.**

 **Happy Valentines Day! I tried to do something love related- I couldn't manage it. However, I did put some Ladynoir, like a teeny tiny piece. Anyways, have a good one.**


	6. Chapter 6

"I get it! You're in love, shut up!" Plagg complained. "How can you like a girl who you don't even know?"

It was early on Monday morning, and Plagg was fed up with my ramblings about Ladybug. Maybe I had let on a bit, but I wasn't over exaggerating. I felt deliriously happy and lightheaded and wonderful, as if nothing could go wrong. I was lying on the cold, hard wooden floor in my room, staring at the ceiling, smiling. I glanced out my window and was greeted by an inky black sky overlooking the darkness of the night.

"I know her." I protested.  
"You talked to her for half a second! How do you know her?"  
"Shut up and eat your cheese, Plagg." I admit, I don't know who the heck Ladybug was. I was clueless to who was hiding under the spotted mask, but my heart didn't care. I sighed as Plagg decided I was a hopeless case and floated over to the little ledge in front of the window panes. He sat down.  
"So I was thinking about the whole 'going to school thing', and it's a terrible idea." He changed topic.

I shot upright.  
"Oh, flip."  
How could I forget my master plan? I enrolled at St. François Dupont, which wasn't too far of a walk, or run in my case because I had no doubt I would by chased by my over protective body guard and Nathalie. The idea was that I would leave unnoticed, sprint through the woods, go to school, make friends and then return with an amazing excuse that I haven't thought of yet. It was genius.  
"Plagg, we have to go."

He whined, he complained, but I ignored him and headed out the door.  
I know he followed me because I heard him muttering behind me:  
"Of all the wretched humans in the world, I get the one kid who actually wants to go to school."

I silently crept through the halls. I jumped at every creak of the floor boards, every slightly too noisy step. My kwami obviously didn't understand stealth, so I clamped a hand over his mouth to stop him from yapping on. I grabbed the set of school supplies which I had pieced together. It was a brown satchel, filled with pencils and paper that I had borrowed (stolen) from my father's desk. The weight of the bag was due to the school books which Chloe had managed to gather for me. She had been the one to get me into the school, so I guess she wasn't too bad.  
It took a few minutes, but then I was out the door and running as fast as my legs could take me. I dashed through my usual path in the woods, occasionally darting the odd tree every. I ran past the village and where I had met Alya's sister two days ago, until I finally reached the street where St. François Dupont resided. The sun had peaked over the city line by then; I suppose I'm a slow runner. What did I do then? I sat on the steps and watched the sunrise.

The step was damp because there was a downpour of rain the previous night. I remember not being able to sleep because of the repetitive, annoying drum on the roof. The air was cold and bitter because of the lack of sun. The sky was littered with grey clouds, warning of rain that refused to fall.  
The sun crept higher in the sky, bringing beams of daylight that shone through the clouds. Flickers of movement in nearby shop windows caught my eye. People getting ready for another long, tedious week. I wondered if I would fit in. I had commissioned the royal tailors for usual, boring normal clothes. It was a plain white shirt, brown pants and black shoes. I knew they were too clean and new, but I hoped that I could pass as 'average'. Eventually, a man walked up the stairs to the door and brandished a key without even glancing at me.

"Excuse me," I said and then raised my voice. "Excuse me."  
He turned.  
"Oh, I'm sorry. Who are you?" He questioned.  
"I'm a new student here, but I'm not really sure what I'm doing."  
"Oh." He obviously didn't care very much. "Come in then."  
I followed him in to the school. It wasn't big, but wasn't tiny either. He led me into a small room towards the side of one of the corridors. It was cramped, the only furniture being a large desk that didn't fit, a chair and a tiny painting depicting a beach directly above it.

"Name." He said dully, sitting down in the wobbly chair behind the desk.  
"Agreste. Adrien Agreste." His eyes widened and dropped immediately.  
"Class 2C." He opened a drawer and pulled out a sheet of paper with a handwritten schedule depicted on it. Then he passed it to me and I thanked him. I headed back out the door and into the corridor. A few people dotted the halls here and there. I stared at the scrap of paper in my hand and then at the numbered doors. My schedule said I had to go to room 32 for English. The next door I passed had 18 written on it. Then next had 19.  
I sighed numbers were going up in the right way.

I turned a corner and crashed into someone. She fell to the floor; I fell to the floor. My piece of paper skidded across the ground.  
"Sorry" I said as she reached for the schedule, her black hair pouring over her face, shielding it from my view. She wouldn't meet my eyes.  
"No, it was my bad" She said, offered the scrap to me and whipped the hair out of her face.  
Her blue eyes widened.

"A-Adrien?" she stammered.  
"Marinette?" I asked at the same time, equally surprised  
"You go here?" I knew she went to a school in Paris, but there were a lot of schools in Paris  
"Well, I've been going here awhile, but I've never seen you before."  
"I'm new." I told her and got to my feet. I offered her a hand, which she hesitated before taking. I pulled her up and she winced.  
"Your leg." I said. She was walking on her own, but she had a stick yesterday.  
"It's," She stuttered. "It's fine. Really."

I was about to ask her how she was doing, if she went to the dance, what class she was in, when she was knocked out of the way by a blonde-haired demon.  
"Adrien!" said my 'best friend', Chloé Bourgeois. She frowned down at Marinette, who was trying to get back to her feet.  
"Out of the way, Dupain-Cheng." She nudged her with her foot.  
"Hey, Chlo." I sighed  
"You made it!" She squealed and dragged me away from the struggling heap that was Marinette. I pulled back a little, but Chloé's strength forced me forward.  
"What class are you in?" she demanded.  
"Class 2C." I whimpered. She was intimidating, with her icy blue eyes burning like flames.  
"Good. I'm glad that stupid principal of ours did what I said. I mean, it took threatening the entire school board, but I did it."  
I groaned.

She brought me to a room, numbered 32, and shoved me into it.  
"I saved this seat for you, Adrikens."  
She pointed at an empty chair and desk in front of a sitting Sabrina.  
"Hey Sabrina" I waved and she smiled a little.

Chloe scowled, annoyed that I had deprived her from her precious attention. I know that Chloé has a massive crush on me, which I wouldn't mind if she was any bit nice. Also, I think she likes that I'm royalty, not my personality. I sat down in the seat and took out the English book Chloé gave me.  
A few minutes later, a shrill bell rand and people flooded in the door. Alya entered with Marinette, who glanced at me and then dropped her gaze. Alya looked at me, looked at Marinette and looked back and forth several times. Her brown eyes also widened and she whispered something in Marinette's ear. Marinette nodded and then Alya's jaw opened.  
A lot of other people noticed me. Probably because the prince was noticeable. The bell rang again and a teacher entered the room.

Class had begun.


	7. Chapter 7

_Adrien,_ my heart soared. Those little feelings had grown and turned me into a stuttering mess. He sat a few rows ahead in front of Chloé, the class brat, who had him wrapped around her little finger. Alya smiled knowingly, taking my blush and lack of eye contact as a clue, but didn't say anything about it and talked about everything else.

"I'm pretty sure the copy-cat fox at the dance was Lila. Actually, I'm certain." She whispered.

I nodded without listening. Alya had long since exhausted the topic of the other fox at the party. Lila was a known a liar, but I learnt my lesson on jumping to conclusions without proof long ago, unlike Alya.

I stared at Chloé and Adrien. Adrien looked extremely uncomfortable around Chloé and her constant chatting, but he was saved when Madame Bustier entered the room and walked over to the black board.

"Chloé!" She commanded, "Take your seat."

Chloé sighed and stormed into her chair. She then folded her arms and formed a scowl expression on her face.

Instead of paying attention to class, which was of the norm, I stared at the clock above the board, where Madame was scribbling with chalk on the black surface. The thin hand on the ticking clock moved at the speed of a tired, grandfather tortoise with a rock attached to its hind legs. In other words, very slowly. My eye lids drooped. I hadn't been getting much sleep those past few nights, but who could blame me? A recap: evil wizard, dark curse, impending doom, et cetera. I have reasons.

Alya was still the only person who knew my destiny. I hoped I would stay awake long enough to see her become a hero, but I doubted that she could commit a heroic deed in less than a year, seeing as she was only 16. The ringing of the bell brought me back to the present. I picked up my books and school bag. I waited for Alya, as usual. She took her time, chatting with every single other face that passed by, putting every pencil in her case straight, smoothing the pages of her copy. It took for what seemed like a year, which my remaining life expectancy didn't reach, before she had finally stood up. Everyone else had already left the room except Nathaneal, who may have fallen asleep.

We walked slowly, Alya was a slow walker to top it all off, and eventually reached our next room. Rinse and repeat, every single class. The final bell skrieked with the harmony of silent screams emitting from my brain. Alya and I went over to her parent's café and I took a seat while she fixed food for both of us. She placed a salad and fork in front of me. I picked up the cutlery and twirled it around in my hand. Then I stabbed a piece of lettuce with the four-pronged metal weapon of doom. Alya chatted my ear off, rattling on about totally useless things, like how stupid Chloé's outfit was or how the English homework would take so long to complete. I stared at the bowl of vegetables, not contributing very much to the conversation except the occasional nod or "huh". Eventually, her expression turned serious.

"Girl, You're not okay."

I snorted. "Really? I didn't notice."

She didn't laugh.

"I've been thinking about this for a while and, don't be mad, I think you should give up your sewing ambitions."

It took a little while to digest, until I chocked,

"What?"

She frowned. "I'm trying to do what's best for you, Marinette, and if you're going to prick your finger on a sewing needle, then you should stay away from them. Take up crocheting or knitting or something. Anything that isn't sewing."

I sat in silence.

My best friend was trying to force me to give up the one thing I loved and was good at. Nothing could replace sewing. I could knit and crochet, but it just wasn't the same. I could do so much more with a sewing needle, a piece of fabric and some thread. I could always just design, but planning was only part of the process. I loved creating, not just sketching.

I stood up, abandoning my salad and walked out the door. Alya called after me but I didn't look back. Tikki, who was on my shoulder the entire time, piped up.

"Not cool. Total not cool."

I glanced up at her. Her red face was contorted in disgust and anger. Mine was probably the same. Everyone who cared about me wanted me to give up what I cared about to protect me, but I would rather have a happy life than a long life. Gears and words started whirring around in my mind, forming several ideas before all of them blended into one genius, thought.

"Not cool, but I have a plan." I said.

"What?"

I told her.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

I rushed to my room and pulled out my sketchbook. This was no time to be discrete. I sketched a rough, female manikin and began to dress her. A plain white shirt, black pants and a red over shirt. Seamstress clothes. Then I added final details. I sketched black spots on the over shirt, as well as a ladybug mask on the manikin's face. Ladybug. I was going to be Ladybug again.

My plan was simple. Well, not exactly. I wanted to start work at the Young Market. The Young Market was where young people went to unofficial work. We could practice trades. The area was considered a shameful place to work at because our work was considered poor quality. However, then it was cheaper so the place was busy. Alya had dragged me there to buy some jewelry for her mother's birthday. It was great and, even better, there wasn't a junior seamstress working there. You didn't need any permits there, and seeing as that it wasn't a decent place to work it was normal for people to hide their identities. However, I would be using the mask to make sure no one stopped me from designing. Alya tended to shop there, but she didn't have the guts to tell on me.

I reached for my sewing kit, but then stopped. If my parents walked in, the entire operation would crumble into dust. Instead, I looked into the tin on my nightstand where I saved spare coins. There was enough for a few lengths of fabric, as well as the red and black left over from my dress. I also had some light blue from a design I never made. I flicked back through my sketchbook to a dress I was working on and added some finishing touches to it. It would look perfect in blue. I could make the blue one to sell and the other outfit to wear. I hoped I could make a profit so I could buy more fabric and create more designs, but I just wanted to share my talents with the world and not have to fear punishment by my parents. It may be drastic, but my time was limited and I had to seize every opportunity I could brush with my fingers with two hands.

I took all the copper, silver and gold coins in the tin and dropped them, one by one, into my purse. I put away all my designing things into my hiding spot and headed out towards the fabric shop where I bought all my supplies. Right before I opened the front door, I grabbed a large, empty bag and slung it over my shoulder. I would have to stuff any supplies I purchased in there so my parents wouldn't see what I had been out getting.

MLBMLBMLB

Alya came looking for me later that evening. I was drowning in homework and still bitter about the earlier situation, so I wasn't very happy to see her. I scowled and waved her away but she ignored my motions.

"Mari, can we talk?"

I shrugged and she continued.

"I know you're really mad at me, and I get that, but you need to listen. You're my best friend, and you can't die. I'm not going to let you die, or fall into a deep sleep, whatever. If you keep sewing, you're going to make a habit of it, and on your seventeenth, you're going to pick up that needle and ready it on some fabric and stab yourself with it and pass out on the spot!" She said each word fast and with fury, making every syllable bite. "Please, please, please stop. I can't just let you leave like that." She took a deep breath and let the tears that she had been holding in roll down her face. Big, fat droplets dripped from her chin onto her clothes.

I took a deep breath and said with a convincing tone.

"Okay, Alya. I'm done sewing."

But I had no intention of doing anything of the sort.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone who reads this weak attempt at a fanfiction,**

 **I'm looking for some feedback, so if you can leave a review telling me something I should change, like my spelling or grammar? I'm trying to make this as best as I possibly can, and some constructive criticism would be appreciated! Thanks,**

 **~Pancake**

Planning, plotting, It's my thing. I am forced to constantly think of ways to turn around my miserable life. In the span of 7 days, I have: snuck out (and been caught) and snuck out to school (and been caught, but it had taken the entire school week for him to work it out). As I was being chewed out by my father, who was saying something about the "You-are-never-going-to-that-school-again-do-you-hear-me?" topic. I stayed silent and stared down at my brown, leather shoes. The angry roar of my father had morphed into a dull drone that I could easily tune out. My mind turned to my next genius plan which was in store for me.

 _Masks._

The masquerade ball had given me an idea, as well as the young market. My father had been complaining to someone or other about 'filthy, cheapskates', also known as the people who sold products at the young market and didn't have to pay taxes. Naturally, I wanted to go. However, I was under strict supervision by the entire palace, but abseiling out my bedroom window may work. That was dangerous. There had to be another way out, but the problem was staying out. If I could out on some disguise, it might work. It complimented the rest of the plan, but first I had to check out the filthy, cheap market. I could hang around there, and it wouldn't be weird to try to hide my identity.

When my dad stopped complaining, I stormed off to my room. Plagg trailed behind me. He was just as annoying as earlier, might I add. He whined a bit about being hungry, being tired and me not giving a damn. I flopped down onto my bed. It bounced a little, but sprang back into its usual form immediately. The mattress was slightly stiff, which is the only kind I can sleep on.

I shoved Plagg into his miniature bed.

"Ow." He complained and brought his paw-like hand to his head.

I turned my head and groaned into my pillow. Life had been a jerk this week. An absolute pain in the backside jerk, just like my kwami. Oh, I had it bad. When you start comparing life to Plagg, it's an absolute nightmare. Even worse, my life was even more terrible than Plagg. The was one explanation; I was a mess. School, Ladybug, friends, Ladybug. These things, even they were good, were piling up on me and weighing me down. Eventually I would collapse, maybe go insane.

I sat up and started tying spare sheets, that were kept in a chest in the corner of the room, together. It took a while, but I had long since perfected the art of 'disobeying my father'. When my makeshift rope was long enough, I tied it to a nifty little ornament stuck to the wall outside my window. I let the rope fly and it tumbled to the to the ground. Quickly, I tested the knot, then began to make my way down. My feet hit the soft, damp ground and then I was running. I heard yelps from people as I ran past them. They would obviously be alerting my body guard, who would chase me relentlessly.

I ran a little faster.

As soon as I got to a hidden spot just outside the castle walls, I opened my satchel and took out a black mask, jacket and cat ears. This was to help me disguise myself in the town, so Gorrila (that's what I call my bodyguard) wouldn't be able to recognize me. When Adrien disappears, Chat Noir comes out to play. The name was still a work in progress.

I changed quickly and gestured for Plagg to enter one of the pockets. I couldn't risk someone recognizing my kwami. I started jogging again. This time I took an extremely long route, one that Gorilla would never think to check. It wound around several trees. I had to jump a stream at one point, but I missed and my foot made a squelching sound as it hit the soft mud at the bottom. I groaned and pulled it out. My shoe was covered with the damp dirt. I glared at it and continued. It took around an hour to reach town, with a lot of similar incidents. I smiled as I took in the area buzzing with the activity of busy people doing their shopping. I leant against a nearby wall to catch my breath and took each face. There were eyes of blue, green, brown, you name it. The expressions varied from happy to sad to angry. The hair colors came in reds and browns and blondes and a blue-black which stumbled into me.

The contents she was holding spilled to the ground and she bent her head down to pick them up, so I didn't see her face.

"Sorry, Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. I'm such a klutz." She stammered.

"It's okay." I tried to help her by picking up her items. I passed them to her and met the gaze of two shockingly blue eyes that I knew I had seen before. The strange thing was that she was wearing a mask too. A red one, with black spots.

"You!" I gasped, recognizing the girl who went to the ball by the name of Ladybug.

"Oh, you." She sounded a lot less excited. "Chat Noir, right?"

"Yup, Is it wear a mask day?" I joked, lamely.

She grimaced at my attempt at humor.

"I suppose so." She re-arranged the bundle in her arms. "Well, I'd best be going."

"No, wait!" I protested. "Where are you going? Are you from around here? What's your name?"

She gave quick answers.

"Young Market. Yes. Ladybug's fine."

"Young Market? I'm headed that way."

"Oh. Great." She sighed.

"Mind if I-?"

She hung her head and closed her eyes, weighing her options, but when she lifted it she was smiling. "Sure."

We walked. I was mainly following her, seeing as I had no idea where I was going. She looked just as confused as me, and we backtracked a bit. We did pass by the Dupain-Cheng bakery, and I asked if she wanted to go in, but she frantically shook her head.

"No. No. No. Absolutely not."

I mimed my head drooping, but I grinned all the same. She made me happy, even if she thought I was annoying her. I probably was annoying her. I felt like skipping, but I restrained myself.

The Young market took my breath away. There were so many people my age, all selling and sustaining their selves. Makeshift stalls were built all around the small plot of grass, each one had an owner selling a variety of goods. I caught the waft of freshly baked goods and fresh fruit and vegetables. The chatter of friends calling out to others and laughter rang in the air. Ladybug span around in a circle.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's still just as amazing." She said, all out breath.

"Agreed." I replied.

She snapped back into focus and started looking for someone. She caught her target and started strolling in that direction. I followed her. The man was tall, with dark hair.

"Hi" she began "I'm the seamstress who came by yesterday." Her voice trailed off, making the sentence sound uncertain.

"Right. Over there." He pointed towards an empty stall.

"Thank you." She muttered and started towards it.

I followed.

She unfolded her bundle and laid it onto the flat, wooden surface that she had been provided. My eyes widened. It was a dress, but a beautiful dress. The dress was simple enough, with long sleeves and an ankle length skirt, but it was decorated with deep blue plastic jewels around the collar while a matching sash was tied around the waist.

"Did you make that?" I asked, awestruck.

"Made and designed." She replied while straightening the sleeves across the table.

"It's amazing." I told her, and she smiled a little.

We watched the crowd visit each stall except Ladybug's. People weaved between others towards different shops, each coming out with assorted objects; Candles, figurines, books and more. There were no other seamstresses or tailors, no clothing items at all, so you'd think Ladybug's stall would be the most crowded. That wasn't the case. A few people glanced over towards it, but kept their distance .

"This isn't working." Ladybug sighed dismally.

"It really isn't." I agreed and tried to think, but the verbal advertising kept distracting me. Merchants called over shoppers to their stalls, attempting to capture any scrap of attention. They joked around and called out some persuasive lines, which brought stray people over to browse.

"Do what they're all doing."

She stared blankly. "What?"

"Command an audience. Call some people over."

I could tell that she wanted to disappear.

"No. No, no, no. Nope."

"Come on, LB. Show them what you're made of."

She stayed silent, so I decided to take matters into my own hands.

"See some amazing designs by the masked seamstress, Ladybug!" I roared.

Maybe I yelled a little too loud, but it caught people's attention.

I continued, and in a few minutes the dress had been sold to an eighteen-year-old girl with dark brown hair and blue eyes. It was enough money to make ten such dresses, and she counted out half and offered it to me. I shook my head.

"That's yours. I can't accept your money." I hesitated before adding, "But can I help you out next week? It was a lot of fun."

She thought about it.

"It might be nice to have a partner. Are you busy next Saturday?"

I grinned.

"Not at all."


	9. Chapter 9

Let's face it, I was in love.

No, not with Chat Noir, my new partner, but with Adrien. Oh, Adrien. He was kind, funny, smart, handsome and just so _perfect_. The problem was I was dull and boring and plain, the exact opposite. There were more problems, because fate couldn't leave it at one. No, there were a whopping total of three annoying obstacles.

Number 1: I can't speak in front of him. Not even two words. Over the past week since he started at my school, Alya had been coaching me into saying simple phrases like 'Hello' and 'Help, I'm stuck in the closet' which had happened on Wednesday, but when I realized it was him my mouth glued itself shut. A surprised Max ended up freeing me from the small, dark closet when he was searching for a mop.

Number 2: I was too plain and ordinary for a prince. It was so obvious that I can't believe I didn't spot that he was royalty before I saw the portrait in the palace. The way he walked, spoke, laughed, it was all too formal for with to be ordinary. It all led to one conclusion that I was blind to see. Besides, I was no match for a perfect prince like him.

Number 3: He never saw me. I was invisible. I couldn't speak or even move in front of him. How was I supposed to be in love with a boy who looked right through me?

On Sunday morning, I was hoping and dreading for Monday. Hoping to see Adrien. Dreading that I would freeze up in front of him. My sketchbook lay on my lap and I was heavily sketching into it. I had just finished the details on another dress and was now working on a blouse. The profits I made on the first dress was enough for a length of leaf-green fabric, which I was making the dress out of. The blouse was plain white with frills,

while the dress was knee length and casual. I hoped they would sell as well as the first, but I wouldn't be able to if Chat Noir didn't show up. He could grab the attention of the entire market with a few jokes and puns. I glanced down at my design and then sighed. The cutting and sewing would have to wait until night time, when everyone in my house was asleep.

I added the details to the blouse and then slammed the book shut. My stomach grumbled so I walked out of the room and headed downstairs into the kitchen. I opened press and grabbed a slice of bread and the dish of butter. I seized a knife from the drawer and began to furiously began to spread the butter onto the bread. I took a bite of the slice and headed outside with it. The sun blinded me for a split second, but I stepped forward again and my vision cleared. Children ran and laughed and played with one another. They screamed with delight. I sat down on the doorstep and took another bite.

Then I saw the most peculiar sight. A blur of blonde hair sprinted past the steps, with a large man running after him. The bodyguard caught up with the boy and grabbed him by the scruff like a kitten.  
"Gorilla! Let go!" He whimpered and attempted to kick himself free, but 'Gorrilla' just slowly dragged him away. The boy, who I identified as Adrien, caught site of me and recognized me.

"Marinette! Help!" he raised his voice in my direction, but I was paralyzed with shock and panic. My eyes widened as he was dragged away. Then something snapped in my brain. He was asking- no, begging- for me to help him. _Me,_ of all people. I jumped to my feet and ran over to the nearest little girl, who was using a jump rope with wooden handles.

"Can I borrow that?" I asked her, pointing to the rope.

She shrugged and stopped using it before passing it to me.

"Thanks," I yelped and grabbed it. Then I started running towards Gorrilla, who was already at the end of the street. I began to spin one end of it around as I ran. When I was close enough, I let the other end go and it soared up into the air, before landing straight on the large man's head. It made a large clunk as it knocked him out. He toppled to the floor, but Adrien had miraculously managed to escape at the last second.

"That was fortunate." I muttered as I strolled over to pick up the jump rope, keeping my eyes directed towards the ground but Adrien caught my arm as I bent down to snatch it from the ground.

"That. Was. Awesome." He said awestruck, and I felt my cheeks heat up as I blushed.

"T-Thanks" I stammered, but he attempted to keep chatting as my brain shrieked.

"No, thank you. You just saved my freedom." My palms were sweating like mad.

I made a halfhearted attempt at a shrug before asking the question that was on my mind. "W-Who was- Who was that?"

He sighed. "My bodyguard. I snuck out again and he caught me."

"S-s-nuck out?"

"Yeah." He shrugged before changing topic. "You have amazing aim."

"I'm lucky."

"And I'm not." He sighed and then absentmindedly brought his hand to the other. Then he froze and glanced down at the same hand he was reaching for.

"Oh no, oh no." He started mumbling. "Where is it? Where is it?"

"Wh-here is what?"

"My ring." he answered and began to frantically pat down his pockets.

I got down on my knees and began to search for it as well.

"Who-when-how-where- _what"_ I stuttered, "-what does it look like?"

"It's black with a paw print."

We looked for a few minutes until I came across it in one of the cracks in the pavement.

"Here." I gave it to him without meeting his eyes.

"Thank you so much" he smiled sadly at the ring as he slipped it on. "My mom left it to me before she passed."

He looked devestated. I wanted to give him a hot chocolate and a hug, but I satisfied myself by quickly patting his shoulder. It looked odd and felt awkward, but it was all I could do.

"I'm sorry." I told him, and he opened his mouth to say something, but then Gorilla began to stir.

"You should go." He told me. "You don't want to be held responsible for knocking him out."

I nodded ttensley and ran back to the bakery, him running in the other direction.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

"Ack," I told Tikki, "I made total fool of myself."

"No you didn't" She protested. "You were fine, great actually."

"No. No. No." I groaned. "I am never leaving this house again."

"You're over reacting." She mumbled as she bit into her cookie. Crumbs flew everywhere.

"Am not." I snapped.

It was the late afternoon, I was bored. I was incredibly bored. I wanted to do something, but I didn't want to do anything. I headed downstairs again, but instead of going outside, I headed to the store front, where Maman was finishing up with the last customer of the day. When the woman left, I flipped the open sign over to inform people that we were closed. Maman counted out the money and put some of it aside for the tax collector.

"Marinette, I'm not sure which tax is coming today, but give half for the royal taxmen and all for the Akumas."

Akumas were Hawkmoth's tax collectors. Maman said this with venom, knowing that she was paying the man who cursed her daughter.

I nodded and she left to put the money away. It wasn't long before a thundering rap came on the door. I opened it quickly and knew who it was immediately. It was Rodgercop, one of the most feared Akuma of all times. I let him in without a word and scooped all the money off the counter. I gave it to him and he left, but I screamed at him in my head. He was taking my family's money

 _Someday you will be stopped. Someday Hawkmoth will fall, and you will fall. Someday I will fall asleep forever, but I will sleep peacefully knowing that you will fall._

My hands started to shake. Then they started to glow with a red aura. My blood roared. I caught Tikki staring, her blue eyes widened with shock and… delight? Why was she so happy? I was glowing with red flames.

"You're the one." She said. "I knew it."

I had no idea what she was on about, but I knew one thing.

I wanted him gone. I wanted him dead.

No, I wanted him asleep.

 **This was rushed. This was very rushed. I'm not sure if** **you can tell, but I'm making this up as I go along. The power of improvisation is strong in this author.**


	10. Chapter 10

Another Saturday, another day at the market. Over the past several weeks that we had worked there, we had gained a few regulars. The masks drew a crowd. It was our gimmick. Everyone gathered around to see the cat and bug duo, even though all we were doing was selling Ladybug's creations. At the end of each day, Ladybug offered me half of the profits, but every time I shook my head vigorously. She ended up donating anything we didn't need to charity. It wasn't to try to make herself out as a nice and generous person, she was simply nice. She put her friend's, family's and even stranger's needs over her own. I loved her for that.  
We closed shop after the three hours. I began to pack up the one garment that we had attempted to sell for what felt like years, but Ladybug snatched it out of my hands. She held it up in a way so that she was eye level to the neckline and looked it up and down.  
"Why," she muttered angrily, "won't you sell?"  
The top was a deep blue with green tones that shifted and blended together, giving the impression of the ocean. I thought it was one of her greatest triumphs and I didn't have any clue how she did it. To be honest, I don't think she did either. It annoyed me how uninterested people were in it. She bit her lip and pondered the design, before carefully folding it and stowing it in the bag which she had brought all the designs in.  
"What's wrong?" I asked, knowing fully well what was bothering her.  
"It's the stupid top." She sighed. "Maybe we should just give up on trying to sell it and dump it. No one cares about it."  
I took a step back, startled. I began to protest.  
"No, this is your best one. If no one can see how good it is, then the entire world is an idiot. You could improve it somehow, but don't give up."  
Her bluebell eyes met my green.

"You're right," she said.

We started to leave, but a girl who was nearby tripped and the candles that she was holding spilled out of her arms.

"Oh no," she groaned and bent down to pick them up. Ladybug and I reached down to help her. I grabbed a lemon colored stick and passed it to her.

"Thanks" she said and took it. Eventually we had gathered all of them and had given them back to her.

"Aren't you a little young to be working?" I asked her. She looked to be only 12, but her brown eyes showed sadness that no adult could handle. She smiled all the same and her face lit up. She tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Pardon?" Ladybug said. "but, you're so young. You shouldn't be trying to make money."

"Well, tough circumstances."

"What's your name?" I said to the girl, who had begun to shift into an awkward stance and expression.

"Manon. Manon Chamack. Thank you for the help and all, but I'm going to go now." She left.

It made me angry. So many people were poor and needed help, so poor that they needed their children to slave away. I was raised rich. I never wanted anything. My father didn't care about anyone other than himself, mom and I. It was his bubble and nothing outside the bubble was worth anything. Since mom died, the bubble grew smaller and he only pretended that I was anywhere near it. I just wanted to pop the bubble and expose him to the real world. The real, terrible, cursed world that he lived in.

However, the past week had been the best times of my life. My father finally relented and decided that he didn't want to send people to chase after me every time I went to school. So, he demanded for Nathalie to organize me a new schedule, that revolved around my school hours. Gorilla had to escort me everywhere, but I think he preferred that over running a freaking marathon every day.

Ladybug and I strolled over to the manager of the market and paid him the small fee to rent the stall. I mainly stood in the background. My purpose was to carry the bags and call people over to the stall, but Ladybug appreciated me. I think.

We turned around and were about to part ways, but a giant man knocked us to the floor. I got to my feet and offered my hand to her, which she slapped away before standing up by herself. We scowled in unison at Rodgercop, the most feared Akuma of all. We took a step behind Mr. Manager, who's name I couldn't be bothered to remember at that moment. Rodgercop was wearing his ever-present helmet that concealed his identity. I absent-mindedly brought my hand to my mask, wondering if his helmet was subconscious inspiration for Ladybug and I.

He scowled deeply.

"Hawkmoth demands that you and your merchants pay taxes. This is non-negotiable."

"And what happens if I don't?" The manager said in a neutral tone, but I could tell he was fuming.

"Curse." Rodgercop said simply, but the manager's eyes widened in fear. I wanted to say something, but I bit my tongue. Ladybug obviously didn't have as much self-control.

"Hey!" She snapped. "You can't just go around, threatening to curse people."

His scowl deepened.

"This is none of your concern, kid." He shoved her away, but she pushed him back.

"It is. You're threatening my workplace."

"Yeah." I muttered, but nobody heard me.

"Go. Away." Rodgercop growled but Ladybug continued to annoy him.

"No. You have no rights here. Hawkmoth has no control over the Young Market."

How did she sound so fearless while Rodgercop was growing even more furious? So furious that he swung his fist at the love of my life's head. Time moved so slowly, but my feet were glued to the ground. I tried to call out in alarm, but my voice wouldn't work either. The manager's eyes widened in unison with mine, but Ladybug didn't flinch. She _caught_ the fist and flipped him over in one, swift movement. The manager gasped. Rodgercop was lying on his back on the soft, muddy ground. He attempted to get up, but Ladybug put her foot on his chest. However, he grabbed her ankle and knocked her over. He attempted to punch her again, but my brain snapped into focus. I threw myself in front of her and the blow struck me instead.

"Chat!" she screamed, but I was vaguely heard her through the roar of my pain. I decided to shrivel up into a little ball. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again and sat up, there was a strange sight awaiting me.

Rodgercop was attempting to hit Ladybug, but instead he contacted an invisible wall. Ladybug had one hand raised to defend herself. She looked shocked, and I realized she was creating the force field that was protecting her. Her eyes popped out of her sockets. So did Rodgercop's.

"What?" he quietly muttered. "How is that…" his voice trailed off.

I was thinking the same thing.

Ladybug forced herself forward, and luckily the invisible shield forced itself forwards as well. With a burst of red light, the wall exploded and the force knocked Rodgercop to his back once more. He went slack on the ground in accepted defeat.

"Tell Hawkmoth," Ladybug spat. "That the girl with the earrings says hello."

 **MLBMLBMLB**

Plagg was the most excited that he had ever been, which was not much but still something.

"She said earrings, right?"

"Right."

"Earrings as in rings you put in your ears?"  
"For the last time, _yes_."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes!"

"Oh no."

"What do you mean, 'oh no'?"

"I mean, oh no. This is bad. I thought you had more time."

"Had more time for what?"

Plagg was being stubborn, refusing to give any information. I snatched him mid-air and clenched him in both fists.

"Alright Plagg, spill."  
He sighed.

"It's a long, tedious story. One you probably don't want to hear."  
"I'm pretty sure I do. Now, _spill_."

He sighed once more.

"There was once a girl, and this girl was cursed because the earrings she possessed gave her great power, that she could activate when she turned seventeen. She was destined to defeat the man who cursed her. There was a ring to go with it, and the ring would give the boy who possessed it equal power."

I lifted my finger and pointed to the ring.

"This one?"

"Yup." He chirped and dug into the cheese I had brought him.

*And so, the horrible author finished the story's set-up. I threw Manon in there, hoping I can make her semi-important later, but I aged her up a little because I don't like working with toddlers seeing as I cannot remember being a toddler. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed the latest installment of Running From Fate. Please leave a little feedback if it's no bother. I used a grammar checker to improve my writing, so I hope it's a little better. Peace out!"


	11. Chapter 11

***Sorry, it's a little short. I had some minor writers block earlier in the week.***

"Okay Marinette, try the shield again."

Tikki and I had been training all day and night in my room. I was sleep derived and cranky but Tikki, equally sleep deprived and cranky, kept ploughing on. She was obsessed about my amazing superpower, but all I had managed to do was create one weak and measly shield that lasted for a second.

"Again?" I groaned and flopped down onto my nearby bed, which groaned but still held my weight.

"Again." She tried to say it cheerfully, but it came out more like a desperate sob. Her deep blue eyes were bloodshot and unfocused. She wore a mask of positivity and strength, but I could see straight past her disguise, into the being who was tired and thought I was hopeless. I attempted to project all my annoyance at her in an intent stare, which she took a minute to understand. She shook her head.

"Oh, what am I saying? We need sleep. We need sleep and food and a break."

I murmured my consent and let my head drop onto the fluffy pillow. Then I submitted to the safety of darkness.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

In my dream, A man shrouded in shadows sat comfortably in an equally shrouded throne. I couldn't make out his face, but I could tell that he loomed over me.

 _Miss Dupain Cheng_ , A voice boomed from all around me, so I could not pinpoint it but I just knew it came from the giant man. _We meet again._

"Hawkmoth." I spoke as fearlessly as I could, but as I tried to continue and form some clever quip my voice failed. I found it hard to breathe, like an invisible hand was clasped around my neck. I realized that he was doing this, intentionally suffocating me.

 _What are you doing?_ He spoke carelessly, _do you really think you can defeat me?_

I wanted to tell him, yes. Yes, I could beat him. I had powers, I could fight, but I couldn't. I couldn't speak or move. I glared at the figure, but he just laughed at my petty attempt at defiance.

 _I'm not worried. You don't have very long anyways. There's not much you can change in a year._

He laughed once more, and then I was shaken awake by the sound of thundering of someone sprinting upstairs.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

I sat up groggily as Alya barged into my room. Without knocking, might I add.

"What is it?" I asked, but she just threw a Newspaper at me. A bold headline caught my eye, which triumphantly declared, "New Sorceress in Paris"

"Oh." I muttered.

"Ladybug." She spat. "Her name is _Ladybug_. She's a _seamstress_ at the Young Market." She looked me meaning fully in the eye.

" _Black_ hair. _Blue_ eyes. The clues all add up to you."

Tikki nervously floated over to Trixx, who waved to her from Alya's shoulder.

"So, Marinette. Do you have something to tell me?"

"No." I lied smoothly. "Alya, you've known me my entire life. Have I ever shown any signs of magical talent?"  
She hesitated.

"Well, remember the time with the ducklings?"

I remembered it well. We were eight years old and sitting by a lake, the calm water lapping at our toes, the sun shining on the back of my neck. A mother duck was wading through the water, her ducklings trailing behind her. She let out a quack, and the ducklings replied with a similar quack in unison. I loved watching the ripples in the surface that appeared as they paddled past. I reached out to touch the water, to create ripples of my own, but as soon as my fingers skimmed the surface, an electric current spread from the top of my head to the end of my arm to my fingertips. Then it left, as if it poured into the water. Then the ducklings lifted into the air. The mother squawked in alarm and flapped its wings to join them. They floated high above us for a few minutes, turning upside down and right side up, before slowly drifting to the ground as Alya and I gaped. As soon as they hit the surface of the water, they began to paddle again as if nothing had happened. We watched them start to create their ripples again in shock. We always thought it was amazing, but never assumed it was because me. Other scenarios began to flash past, of all the weird and supernatural things that happened around us. No, not us. Me.

However, I was sharply pulled back to the present moment by Alya, who was glaring at me in an accusatory fashion. She was judging my lies by each untrue word that slipped out of my mouth. My mind started to go into overtime, trying to work out an excuse.

"I-um, uh."  
"Yeah. Yeah, sure. Mari, I know you're her."

"No. No, I'm not. Alya, I would never lie to you. You must believe me. I can't explain myself, or give you some kind of reason, but I'm not lying."

Every single syllable that poured out of my mouth hurt to say. I was a liar. I was rotten to the core. I was lying to my best friend, the one person who had been my friend my whole life, but It seemed like everyone was my enemy. My parents, for quenching my designing dreams. Alya, for trying this whole stunt. Chloé, Sabrina, Alix, Kim, Myléne, Ivan, Everyone. The only two people who seemed to be my friends were Adrien and Chat Noir. Adrien because I didn't know him well enough to hate or distrust him, and Chat Noir because he supported me in every little thing I did. It became annoying, but at least he was there for me.

Her glare weakened.

"Promise?" She asked.

I gulped. "Promise."

It hurt to lie, but my identity had to remain secret. If somebody knew who I was, then they would follow me. I had become an overnight celebrity. Every newspaper featured me on the front page. Everyone wanted me to defeat Hawkmoth. I was the only one who had enough power and courage to stand up to him. They thought I was more powerful than I really am. I can't even preform a simple shield spell.

Alya nodded, gave me a quick hug and left. I dropped my innocent composure and let myself fall back onto my bed. Tikki perched on the corner of the white pillow case.

"That was close." She sighed.

"Too close." I replied. "I hate all this lying."  
"Well, the seamstress idea. You brought that upon yourself."  
I gave a cold laugh.

"But this whole sorceress thing. That's mainly my bad."

"Gee, thanks." I sighed. "Do you want to try the shield again?"

"No. Absolutely not. Not today."

I laughed properly this time.

"I fully agree." I said and passed out again.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

A man weakly sat in a frayed armchair. The chair was falling apart with age, but the man was older. Deep creases etched into face, he was so frail. He shook with every movement. His bones would collapse on top of each other, or he would plant face first into the hard wood floor.

His kwami perched on the armchair, just beside his head. The green, turtle like creature looked just as weak as him. They looked like they were dying.

"I sense the power of the earrings." The man croaked out unexpectedly, his voice breaking through the silence. The kwami took a raspy breath before nodding.

"The ring should not be far behind." He continued.

"One hundred and eighty-six years. Everything leading up to this moment." His kwami sighed. "I think it is time to rest, Fu."

"I think so, Wayzz."

Fu took another shallow breath and sighed.

"Hawkmoth will be defeated."

Then he closed his eyes, his body went slack. Wayzz let his eye lids drop and he dissolved into a cloud of light green dust. They were dead.


	12. Chapter 12

"How do I do this?" I asked Plagg.

"It supposed to come naturally. You can't force it, dumbo."

"What? You didn't think to tell me that?" I exclaimed. It may sound silly, but I believed I could control when I could reach the power. So, I had tried to cast spells for a week. I hadn't slept much. Plagg deciding to withhold the information so he could watch me suffer was aggravating. He was probably just trying to make me angry and provoke an embarrassing meltdown. He was succeeding.

"Yup." He chirped and took a bite of the cheese that was clutched in his paws.

"I hate you." I groaned.

"Same, Adrien. Same."

I let my right fist fly into the nearby wall, then regretted it. The wall stood resilient, not even dented, while all my bones on my hand were crushed. Plagg laughed with his mouth full, spilling cheese crumbs everywhere.

My head throbbed with rage, my heart pounded. I wanted the powers. I wanted to use them to help Ladybug, to help her defeat Hawkmoth. As much as I loved her, the one thing I didn't want to be known as the pun throwing side-kick. I wanted to be her partner. Possibly her boyfriend, but little steps at a time. I began to sulk and mope around the room, trying to think of an idea. There had to be way to stimulate a situation where I could activate my powers.

"Is there anyone that can help me?" I begged later, after I had calmed down a bit. Not much, but a small bit.

He pondered this while he chewed his tenth slice of cheese that evening. He finished with a noisy gulp.

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I suppose"

I jumped with excitement. "Who? Plagg, tell me!" I complained.

"Fu. His name his Fu."

I ran through a list of all the people I knew, or heard my father mention. The name rang a bell. I think my father was mad at him when I was younger, but I couldn't remember the details. I remember him mentioning that Fu worked with herbs and healing.

"He was a healer, wasn't he?"

"How am I supposed to know?" he scoffed. "I only know that he gave you the ring."

"Okay, I can work with that." I nodded in approval. "What's his address?"

He told me that if I wanted to know, then I would have to feed him more cheese.

I threw another thick slice at him, hoping that it would hit is head.

MLBMLBMLB

I stood on the desolate street that Plagg had finally directed me to. It looked poor and shabby, the houses crumbling into pieces. My mask fit comfortably on my face.

"Are you sure this is the right place?" I asked. I expected something more elegant for the supposed miraculous distributor.

"Yup." He said from my coat pocket. Before I could ask which door to knock on, a younger girl crashed through one of the doors and ran across the street with a fistful of candies clenched in her sweaty fingers. Another younger girl chased her.

"Manon! Give me some!"

"Never!" she laughed.

I had never felt so pleased with myself before. I had anonymously donated my large sum of allowance to her family, hoping it could improve their lives. I planned to keep doing it until they could get to their feet. It made me feel like I could do some good in the world.

Manon was tackled by the other girl, who I assumed was her sister, who ripped half of the sweets out of Manon's sticky palm, but Manon wasn't giving up. Then it was Manon doing the chasing. Her sister swiftly unwrapped one of the sweets and popped it in her mouth.

"No! No, they're mine!" Manon squealed.

I smiled as I walked on, but I only got a few steps before I realized I had no idea where I was. I turned around and tried to grab the attention of the squealing children. Manon caught sight of me.

"Chat Noir! Chat Noir, what are you doing here?"

"Hi, Manon."

"Who are you?" the sister said.

"He works at the market." Manon replied. "Hey, Elly, can you go for a sec?" She tossed Elly sister another sweet to prompt her, and it worked.

"Chat Noir, what brings you to my humble abode?"

"I'm looking for someone. Do you know where Fu lives?"

"Yeah." She said and pointed to the shabbiest house of all of them. "Right over there."

"Thanks." I said and turned towards the rundown house.

The cream paint had been chipped away and faded. A window was broken, and the owner obviously couldn't be bothered to fix it. I wondered how anyone so important could live in a hovel like this. I raised my fist to the wooden door to rap my knuckles on it once, but it creaked open as soon as I had made contact with the splintering wood.

"Hello?" I called out, but no other voice responded. I hesitated, but I decided that I shouldn't come back later. The door was open and the matter I had to discuss was too important to wait. I pushed the door open a little more and stepped inside.

The small, enclosed hallway was dark and damp. The wooden floorboards squeaked and bent under my weight. I slowly started to creep down the corridor, checking each room for any sign of life. The dusty kitchen. The dining room, set for one with a plate of moldy, stale food. The bathroom, which I'd rather not go into the details of other than it stank. The bedroom, with a single bed and itchy-looking brown sheets. The curtains in every room were drawn tightly shut, so light was stripped of the opportunity to pour in and illuminate the entire house.

I reached another door, but this one was closed. I pushed it open, and was greeted by the back of an armchair, with an old man sitting in it. I cracked a smile and announced my presence by saying,

"Um, excuse me."

He didn't move, so I raised my voice a little.

"Hello?"

I walked around the chair and took in the sight of the great Master Fu.

His face was pale, his body was stiff, his eyes lifeless.

"Oh. He's dead." Plagg said blankly.

MLBMLBMLB

I sat at one of the empty chairs in the dining room as one of the king's men interrogated me. I had alerted the authorities as soon as I found the body, and they took me in for questioning. They asked me the main questions, and I answered them as honestly as I could without revealing my identity. They asked me where my kwami was. I said that he was exploring and his name was Roodle. I joined radishes and noodles, because I don't like either of those foods, to make up the name. They asked why I was wearing a mask, I said that it was in fashion. They asked my name, I hesitated. I doubted Chat Noir would work, and Adrien Agreste would make them escort me back to the palace. So, I made up another name by combining two of my friends' names. So, I was the mask wearing Nino Dupain-Cèsaire. Owner of the pig kwami, Roodle. My tale was growing more and more ridiculous by the second, so I was glad to be able to leave. The could unwind my spell of lies in a blink, but hopefully I would be hard to track.

I left the miserable street in a terrible mood. My shoulders sagged.

"I really thought he could help." I sighed.

"He probably could. If he wasn't, y'know, dead."

I shot him a glare that I hope he was offended by, but I doubted he was.

I arrived home out of costume and headed back up to my room. I started practicing magic again, but this time it felt a little different. It was more tired than determined. The want turned to need. When I set off to find Fu, I thought he could wave some sort of magical wand and I could become an amazing sorcerer, but he was dead.

Plagg started getting really excited. Well, as excited as Plagg could ever get.

"Adrien, you did it!"

"Yeah. Very funny." I sighed.

"No, seriously. Look at your ring. It's supposed to be activated when you feel a strong, negative emotion, but only after Ladybug's is active."

I glanced down at the silver, which was turning to black. I reached out and touch a metal ornament, but as soon as I brushed off it, it turned a similar shade of black before crumbling into pieces.

"Awesome!" I squealed.

 **SEE! HE WAS IMPORTANT! AND YOU DOUBTED ME.**


	13. Chapter 13

*I'm answering a few of the reviews that you left, just skip over this bit if you aren't interested, but remember that I appreciate each and every one!

 **-My grammar:** Yes, I understand it is very bad, and I'm working on it. I've installed some grammar checkers, and I'm planning to take some courses if I can find one (English is my first language, believe it or not). So, sorry but you are going to have to deal with it for awhile.

 **-Killing Fu and Wayzz:** The only reason I brought Fu into the story was to help Adrien access his powers and he couldn't do that if he was alive, so I killed him.

 **-The timing of the story (from RedRoyalty):** Here's how it is. Marinette turned 16 a few weeks ago, and she discovered that she will fall into a deep sleep when she turns 17. She is not yet 17. She has a year to develop her powers. Also on the comment about Alya: In the show, Marinette lies to Alya 24/7 to keep her Ladybug secret, so I tried to put that into the story. ( **Spoiler for the story** : You really think Alya isn't suspecting her? Really?)

 **-Me going off track:** Yup. I am aware.

So that's all I'm going to do today. I hope this wasn't annoying but I was sensing great confusion. Keep leaving reviews! They make me smile!*

"Yes!" I cheered. "Yes! Yes! Yes!"

I started screaming and jumping around the room. I span around and Tikki, who was a little weary, was equally pleased. She smiled and twirled. I had just managed to cast the shield again. It was weak and didn't last very long, but it was still a working, magical shield. I felt tired and delirious, but enthusiastic and thrilled as well. Days of practice had finally paid off. I spun around once more before doing a victory leap onto my bed. I grabbed my pillow and squeezed it hard like a teddy bear.

"Marinette! Calm down and try it again." Tikki screamed over my screams.

"Don't ruin this moment for me." I sighed. "Don't make me fail again."

"Failing is the key to success."

I stuck my fingers in my ears and said "Nope. Nope, nope, nope and nope. Not happening."

I didn't want to put a damper on the amazing effect that doing something right left behind by getting it wrong once more. I know that practice makes perfect and all, but I didn't feel like it. I wanted to celebrate and do something fun, so it was decided.

"Let's go out, okay?" I asked her.

"Marinette…" She began, but I didn't let her finish.

"Okay!" I yelled and sprinted down the stairs. She followed me, probably to keep me out of trouble. I headed out the door, the bell above it ringing sweetly behind me.

"Well, Marinette, what are we going to do?" She asked.

I thought about it before coming to a reasonable conclusion. "I have no clue."

"Fair enough."

We strolled down the paved street, looking into each of the shop windows. One shop had jewelry displayed in the windows, from diamonds to emeralds to rubies to sapphires. Earrings that dangled from your face when worn and necklaces the draped across your throat. Then there was a dressmaker, who fashioned ball gowns and fancy suits. When I was younger I used to press my nose to the window and take in the beautiful embroidery and withhold the gracefulness of the folds in the fabric. The woman who worked there didn't tend to get much business though. She was old and her designs were just as old-fashioned. Nobody would casually wear such an intricate dress, and formal events were so rare. Besides, she charged too much for what the dress was worth, and there were cheaper dressmakers of the same quality. I didn't want to become like her, her greatness dampened by the lack of business.

There were more shops which I peered into. A sweet shop, which I yearned to go into but all the money I had was to buy scraps of fabric for Chat and I's designs. Then I remembered the top that I was trying to fix. I had attempted to stitch on buttons, beads, feathers, scales until the entire thing looked like one big craft project that a two-year-old would have wanted to hide, to spare themselves the embarrassment of being the creator. I didn't want to dump it but there was no hope for it, not unless I ripped it apart and started again. Which I didn't want to do. I put so much effort and attention into it, so much love poured into each seam and stitch. I ruined it with my attempts to fix it. The top was with me in my brown sack, because I wanted to show it to someone, to try and get some advice.

I reached the shop where I usually buy my fabrics. This was the one I entered because it was like utopia to me. The endless rolls of fabrics in nearly every shade, type, texture, and pattern. I walked around the store in a daze before the young woman at the counter (and owner of the store) spoke up.

"Hello, Marinette."

"Hello!" I replied. I was a regular customer at the shop, so she knew me to see me, but I still didn't know her name. I pulled the top out of my sack and showed it to her. She winced.

"Oh dear." She muttered. "Oh dear, this is terrible." Honest to a fault.

"Yes, I know." I groaned. "Is there any way to fix it?"

She sighed. "Trying to take out all the ornaments would take so much time, and it wouldn't be the same as before. Honestly, Marinette, I think there's no hope for it."

"That's all right," I exhaled disappointedly. "I'll just be going now."

I left sadly. What was the point of putting any effort into fixing it if I could never improve it? In the words of the wise old woman who I barely now, it was hopeless. I started on the walk to Alya and I's secret spot. It was quiet and lonely; Even the rustling of the tree branches sounded desolate. Never in my life had I felt so alone. There wasn't even a proper reason other than my sleeping curse, which no one had consoled me about. Of course, there was Alya, but the way she tried to prevent it by ruining my entire career annoyed me, and my parents, but they tried to accept it and use the time that we had without letting me decide what I wanted to do for the remainder of my life also annoyed me. I wanted someone who wouldn't tell me everything was going to be okay, but encouraged me from doing what I want, despite the consequences. Basically, I wanted someone non-existent. There was nobody who could ever understand me like that! Not even Tikki would support me in that way. I knew that she wanted me to stop sewing to protect me from the curse, even if she didn't say it out loud.

Tikki, speak of the kwami, was crouched in my purse trying to get some shut-eye. Or so I thought because she opened it from the inside and stuck her head out.

"What's wrong, Mari?"

"Nothing, nothing." I shrugged and tried for a smile. I think I succeeded because one of the corners of her mouth quickly twitched upwards.

"Are we going to the river?"

"Yeah."

I breathed in the smell of the plant life. The combined smell of the fresh ferns and the flowers was sweet and natural. The birds chirped pleasantly overhead and the squirrels scrambled on the ground, searching for something to eat. The sun shone down from the gaps in the overhead canopy of leaves. The woods were beautifully lonely in the summer time.

We reached the vine wall and I pushed it aside with a swift wave of my hand, opening into the river bank. I sat down onto the soft, muddy ground. It squished and squelched, obviously dirtying my dress but I didn't care. I started drawing spirals in the mud, each connecting from each other, all spawning from the one, larger spiral. I liked patterns if they weren't too over the top. No stripes or luminance colors, and definitely not stripes in two luminance colors, like pink and orange. Fashion nightmare.

I stared at the rolling currents of the water. A twig stuck in the watery pull was forced to float by me. I slipped by shoe off and dipped my toe into the cold water, then my whole foot, then the other foot. I lifted my skirt and started to wade around in the shallower parts of the water. Tikki floated nervously above my head.

"Be careful." She warned me, afraid that I might be dragged off like the stick, but I didn't care. I loved the coolness of the water, and how I couldn't define the wetness.

Something glided against my leg and I screamed, unnecessary panic shaking me. When I realized that it was just a minnow, I burst into relieved laughter. The tiny fish had surprised me, combined with the constant protective words of Tikki frightened me, making me squeal as if something terrible was going to happen. Now, looking back, the whole situation was hilarious. I laughed so hard I thought I would wet myself. Tikki giggled along with me, but our laughter was cut short by a person crashing through the trees on the other side of the river. The person had neat blonde hair, green eyes, a white shirt, brown pants. Adrien Agreste caught sight of me.

"Are you okay? I heard someone scream."

My heart raced and my face went red with embarrassment.

"Um. There was a fish…" I trailed off.

He looked so annoyed for a split second. Then he started laughing hard, just like I was a few moments ago. The entire situation was ridiculous. We both bent over, laughing like we had never laughed before. He stepped into the water began to wade over to me, laughing all the while. He placed his hand on my shoulder, and my knees went weak. I toppled into the cold water, my dress soaked itself through with water. I groaned and he brought his hand to his mouth in shock.

"Oh my gosh, Mari, I am so sorry. I am so sorry."

I sat on my backside in shock, but then I started laughing. It wasn't a necessary moment in my life or his, but it made me feel good. It made me feel not so alone.

A small green blue fish swam by, and I suddenly knew how to fix the top.

*To be honest, I don't know how to fix the top. Or sew. Or do any designing whatsoever. This isn't hard at all!*


	14. Chapter 14

***THIS IS EARLY! I am going away for today, so I'm uploading earlier than usual. This will not be the usual occurance, just to keep me sane. Hope you enjoy!***

"So, Marinette," I asked after we had swum over to the riverbank. Her hair was soaked, so it looked like a heavy curtain of black that poured over her shoulders onto her soaked blue dress.

"What brought you to this little river spot?"

She sighed a deep sigh that sounded so sad that I wanted to give her a huge hug, but I didn't because I didn't think that she would appreciate it. She avoided me at school for some unknown reason. I didn't think that she liked me very much, but I don't know what I had done to tick her off. I liked Marinette. She was sweet and kind and awesome. I didn't want her to be mad at me, she was a proper friend. My first ever friend. However, what use was a friend who tolerated you, and only tolerated you.

I stared at her in anticipation. She sighed again and then began to fiddle with the edge of her dress. She stammered a little before starting.

"A-Alya and I used to come here when we were younger, but we had an argument recently. I came here to get some air"

I nodded.

"So-so-so who-no-why are you here? Why are you here?"

I recounted the thrilling tale, which was actually very boring.

My dad and I were having an argument. Voices raised, banging on tables, the whole package. It was about my duties as a prince and how I wasn't fulfilling them. After the whole ordeal, I rushed out of the room and stormed outside, trying to escape. The part I didn't relay: I forgot my mask. In the rush, I left without it on. It was now simple to identify me as Adrien. So, now I was trying to hide from Gorilla, who was no doubt in hot pursuit.

Also, I knew I wasn't fulfilling my princely duties. I didn't want to make public appearances and address crowds. I didn't want to make speeches. I didn't want to rule a kingdom, but my father does and in his eyes, and in the words of Plagg who apparently got all the shots when deciding on my fate, my destiny was called for. There was no escaping the words of a kwami.

Marinette looked angry. Her deep blue eyes gleamed with fury.

"He can't- that's not- I mean-" She groaned. "Unfair. It's unfair."

I found her constant stammering a little odd, but also cute. Then I cursed myself for thinking like that. She was cute in the way a kitten was cute. Not as in the 'I like her' way. Then I cursed myself for thinking 'I like her'. Let's get one thing clear: I DO NOT LIKE MARINETTE IN THAT WAY, NO MATTER WHAT NINO SAYS.

She was a good friend, sweet, kind and awesome, but I had Ladybug. I liked Ladybug. I loved Ladybug.

I turned to Marinette. Whenever I looked away she frowned and her posture dropped.

"Why are you sad?" I asked her.

She glanced at me and composed herself.

"Sad? No, I'm not sad. I'm grand! Fabulous even!" She quickly said, but I didn't believe her.

"Yes, you are."

She sighed.

"Is it that obvious?" She asked, all stuttering fading away.

"A little."

She groaned.

"So, why are you sad?" I repeated.

She shook her head.

"Do I have to say?"

"No." I protested. "Only if you want to."

She bowed her head and stayed quiet.

"Do you want a hug?"

"Yes. I definitely want a hug." She sighed, do I gave her a large, friendly hug. When I released her, she was smiling a little.

"Thanks."

"No problem," I muttered, a little embarrassed for some reason.

I heard heavy stomping through the trees. _Gorilla_ , I thought and I quickly stood up.

"I gotta go, bye" I yelled, but the sentence came out as one garbled word. I ran away, Gorilla chasing behind me.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

"My Lady, that's beautiful," I said to Ladybug, who was showing the improved top.

"Thank you." She bowed her head in acceptance of the compliment. "It was a mess, like, five seconds before I left for here."

"I doubt it was that bad."

"No, it was." She pointed out various places where she had stuck on tacky ornaments, where there were now rips to reveal a light blue fabric. There were tiny blue-green fishes stitched at the collar. It was modern and artistic.

"Then, I doubt you fixed it in five seconds."

She wore an expression of mock anger.

"You doubt my abilities?"

"Never, Bugaboo."

"Silly Kitty."

We continued the teasing as we set up our stall. We laid all our new material out on the table. I had been making bead bracelets with the spare materials that Ladybug had no use for. They weren't expensive, but they were still making a little extra money for new fabric. Her designs were amazing, as per usual. There was a green dress with a wide skirt, perfect for a picnic, a lilac ball gown and so much more. I began to call over customers. The second I started, a crowd made its way towards us.

"Well, this is _paw_ some"

She shot me an annoyed look, which was the norm when a made a _claw_ tastic pun. I made a lot of puns. She made a lot of annoyed looks.

We sold out in a matter of minutes. Ladybug counted the money, I took down the sign that Ladybug had made. It said 'Miraculous Fashions' with a drawing of a black cat and a ladybug. She set aside the money to rent the stall and counted out a half. She offered it to me, but I shook my head. I didn't need any more money. My father taxed the city ruthlessly for 'my benefit', as well as his own greed. Of course, Ladybug didn't know this and I planned to keep it that way. As much as I wanted to know who was behind the mask and who I was in love with, I didn't want her to treat me differently because I was a prince. Even Marinette did that; she was now so different from the girl I met in the woods. She stuttered and jumped back whenever I tried to go anywhere near her. She was distant.

We both smiled at Manon, who was at the stall beside us. She was happier now. It looked like she had been eating more, smiling more, all in all having a better life. I think the money that I was sending was helping. We made our way over to her stall.

"Hi Manon," Ladybug chirped. "How are you?"

"I'm fantastic! Brilliant!" She squealed.

"Well, I'm glad that you are so happy, but what's the reason?" Ladybug asked innocently.

"Some anonymous character has been donating money to my family. It's enough to pay the rent and feed at least two of us."

"Seriously? That's brilliant!" Ladybug grinned.

"Brilliant." I agreed. Her smile was contagious; her happiness was spreading.

"Anyways," Manon changed the subject. "Do you want to buy some candles?"

Ladybug smiled and passed over the money. She pointed to two green ones, and Manon gave them to her.

"Here," Ladybug offered one of the green sticks to me. I took it and said my thanks. Ladybug and I attempted to walk out of the Young Market, but we were stopped by a tall, looming shadow. Rodgercop.

"Can't you give us a break?" I asked, annoyed. "We don't want any trouble."

"Hawkmoth demands that 'Ladybug' be brought before him, due to the disrespect she showed him last week."

Ladybug glanced at me. No one can demand anyone to be brought before them, and no one can talk to Ladybug like that, I wouldn't allow it.

"You won't be taking Ladybug anywhere," I growled, ready to pounce. Ladybug placed her hand on my shoulder.

"I can handle myself, kitty." She turned to Rodgercop, "You won't be taking me anywhere."

"That is exactly what I just said." I moaned.

"Shut up."

Rodgercop scowled.

"I am required to take you by force, if necessary."

"Then force it is." Ladybug tensed, possibly about to cast a shield, but I got there first. Rodgercop always wears a tall pair of boots to increase his height. Nobody mentioned this, they were too afraid, but I noticed and I was going to take advantage. I threw myself at the ground, towards his boots. In the split second that I gave him to think, he shot me a disgusted look, but then I summoned my cataclysm. The shoes crumbled under his foot, and he fell. Luckily, he didn't fall on me, he fell backward. I jumped upright and took a protective stance in front of the wide-eyed Ladybug.

"Okay, for one I can protect myself." She scolded, but then grinned. "However, that was awesome, and I am okay with that. Still, I am an independent woman."

"I don't doubt that for a second." And that was the truth. Rodgercop sat up and growled. He got to his feet.

"Let me handle this one." She asked.

"No problem, My lady."

She leaped into action, casting shields left, right and center. She didn't need my help, so I just watched with the rest of the cheering crowd. She was beautiful.


	15. Chapter 15

**Has my grammar improved at all? I'm trying, I promise. Also, does anyone want to design a cover for this story? I can't pay you though, but if you wanted me to write you something? I don't know, no pressure.**

"I'm going to be a princess!" Chloé declared triumphantly on entering the classroom as we were waiting for Madame Bustier to arrive. Her bee-themed kwami, Pollen, stared haughtily at us, her blue eyes treating us as if we were the mud stuck under her shoe. I sighed. Today was Chloé's birthday, so the previous night she received her destiny. How terrible was it for us commoners?Put it this way: Soon she would actually have power over us instead of just pretending to.

As soon as the announcement was made everyone groaned, except Sabrina who began to clap and cheer. Adrien sighed the loudest. There was only one prince that we knew of, and that was Adrien. Nino, who was sitting beside him, patted his shoulder kindly.

"Hard luck, man. Wouldn't want to be you."

I groaned again and Alya turned to me, her face contorted in an expression of anger and fear.

"She's going to be worse, isn't she?" She asked.

"Much worse." I agreed and Nino chimed in from the seat in front of us.

"Even worse than your most terrible nightmares."

"Worse then Hawkmoth." Alya joked.

Adrien turned and I was thrown head first into freak out mode. My hands shook and I tried not to meet his adorable eyes, but I failed.

"She isn't that bad." He said, but we could tell by the look of sheer panic in his beautiful, emerald eyes that he was lying.

"Defending your girlfriend, Adrien?" Alya teased and the look of panic morphed into confusion.

"What? She's not my girlfriend!" He complained. "She's my friend. Well, not friend, she's just a person who I have known for a long time because our parents forced us to be friendly with each other." Alya and Nino looked at each other, Adrien looked down at his desk, I gazed at my shoes. Chloé, who was still standing at the front of the class, finally shoved her nose high up into the air and walked towards her seat, but she took a long route that 'just happened' to pass by my desk. She winked at Adrien and then stopped at me.

"Bet you don't have as good a destiny as me, Dupain Cheng. Probably a stable girl or, more likely, a fate the same as Monsieur Ramier"

Monsieur Ramier was mad. He talked to the pigeons as if they could understand him. Alya tensed beside me, ready to pounce, putting her hand on my shoulder as I glared at my nemesis.

"Or maybe," she continued, her hand placed on my desk, " when I get into power, I'll banish you. You never know!" She shrugged happily and glided over to her desk, her yellow dress flying behind her.

"Maybe Ladybug and Chat Noir can overthrow her and chop off her head," Alya suggested helpfully. I shook my head and sighed, whispering so only she could hear me.

"I don't have to worry. By the time she gets around to banishing me, I'll be asleep."

"Do you think that she's lying?" Alya asked as we left the class. At the time, I was taking a sip of water, but I spit it all out in shock. Only one person we knew ever lied about their destiny. Lila. She said she was going to be a duchess and we were all so pleased for her (except for Chloé, of course). Then her lie unraveled. Her younger sister blabbed; she was only five or so. Lila was destined to be a shoemaker. Her reputation was destroyed, her cluster of friends dismantled. Lila now always sits at the back of the class, alone.

"No!" I exclaimed. "She could never! Risk destroying her and her family's reputation? No."

Alya considered it.

"I suppose." She tried to change the subject. "Did you hear that there's a new sorcerer?"

I nodded, feeling a sense of pride towards my kitten friend. Who could have known he was a magical cat? I couldn't have a better partner. He wasn't that helpful in the sewing department, but he was a good, loyal friend who didn't let me down, even if his flirtatious jokes were annoying. Extremely annoying. I didn't like him in the way he wanted me too, Poor kitty but when he revealed his powers, powers much better than my stupid shield charm, I was a little surprised but pleased. I couldn't manage all this 'fighting the darkness' all by myself.

"Chat Noir is cool, but I prefer Ladybug." She continued, and my palms began to sweat. I felt that Alya still suspected me, no matter how much I tried to convince her I wasn't Ladybug. I've known Alya my whole life, and I know how clever she is. She could sniff out a lie a mile away. Why she hadn't called me out, I didn't know but I would like to keep it that way. I felt that Alya was always bringing up Ladybug to try and catch me out, to make me confess and I knew that one day she would, but for now, I just wanted to keep my best friend with me. Our supposed unbreakable bond was strained by the looming curse that hung over my head and my lies, while she continued to train to be the hero that she was destined to become. I hated how we continued to argue and accuse each other of the most stupid things imaginable to all of the mankind.

As Alya continued to yammer on, I thought about the curse that was tearing us apart. Had it really been less than two months since it was proclaimed? Really? It felt like weeks and months and years. I had just over ten months left to live, to breathe, to design. I was about to say this to Alya, to comment on how much I would miss all these things, but I caught myself. The entire reason I had begun to work at the Young Market was so I could showcase my designs and talent without being caught without being reprimanded. Why me sewing was such a big deal? I had no clue. Absolutely none. Sure, I was fated to prick my finger with a sewing needle, but that was only supposed to happen on my seventeenth. Couldn't I just not sew on my birthday or, I don't know, wear a thimble? Was it that hard to come up with a solution?

But the more I thought about it, maybe they just didn't want to see me wielding the instrument that would kill me.

MLBMLBMLB

Chloé Bourgeois sat in her father's carriage, not taking in the beautiful intricacy. The cushions were covered with a pure, clean white silk and lined with gold. In fact, everything in the carriage was white with gold embellishing. The seats, the walls, the drivers even wore white. It was a luxury that only she and royalty could afford. You see, Chloé's father, Andrés Bourgeois, was a rich business man. Her mother was a kind spirit, but she died when Chloé was very young, depriving her of a good role model. Her father was stuck up and cruel, so Chloé was forced to be the same. Now she sat there without caring about any of her riches, her mind preoccupied with her current task.

"Let me out." She demanded, and the carriage shrieked to a halt. Chloé waved away the footman and began to walk haughtily down the street. She stuck her nose in the air, her Kwami perched nervously on her shoulder.

"I don't like this," the kwami muttered. "Chloé, I don't like this."

"Shut up, Pollen. I don't need your help."

The kwami protested, so Chloé shoved her into her purse, ignoring her muffled screams. She turned into an abandoned alleyway and wrinkled her nose at the mud and filth.

"Disgusting."

"Well, best to get used to it." An unknown voice called out and Chloé tensed. The figure emerged from the shadows. A man with steely gray eyes, blonde hair and a lilac mask to match his lilac suit. He twirled his staff with his black gloved hands.

"Hello, Hawkmoth," Chloé said, her yellow dress shining a bright light on the damp and dark alley.

"Is all going to plan?" He asked without emotion, as usual.

"Perfectly." She replied. "They all think that I'm going to marry the prince and become a princess. They can't suspect me now."

"Good. You know what to do now?"

"Of course. Ladybug won't be a threat for much longer."


	16. Chapter 16

I could not stand Chloé. She was becoming even more unbearable than usual. Mainly because she was now expected to marry me, and my father would obviously force me to. How was I supposed to deal with this situation? I didn't want to be a prince, I didn't want to marry Chloé, I didn't want my stupid fate. I contemplated my life's purpose as I lay in bed that night. I hammered Plagg with rhetorical questions, partially because I needed someone to talk to, the other part being I wanted to annoy him and keep him awake. He was not amused, but I didn't care. I felt fidgety and restless with nerves. Finally, I couldn't stand it anymore. I had the feeling where I just wanted to dash around the room and scream like my life depended on it. I wanted to be free like the wind, uncontrolled and unpredictable. I hastily changed and began to tie spare sheets together, Plagg sighing as I worked. When the rope was long enough, I knotted it to my curtain rail and cast it out the window.

"Didn't you try this one before?" Plagg groaned, getting up from his miniature bed.

"Yes, yes I did." I shrugged. "It worked before, it will work again."

I gestured for Plagg to climb into my coat pocket, then started to make the treacherous descent. One slip, one hesitation, one falter and I was a goner, but I was experienced in the complex art of 'sneaking out', so I was able to make it to the ground safely. I took a deep breath which calmed me; The fresh night air was cool and crisp. I felt the need to go somewhere, to do something. I let my eyes close and tried to focus on the one place which I yearned to go the most. I came up with a clear picture of the forest, the moonlight shining through the tree canopies, the place where I met Marinette.

I felt like Marinette was a good luck charm. After I met her, my life turned around for the better. I started school, I met Ladybug, I became Chat Noir. Everything changed. I wanted Marinette to be my friend. I felt she had changed everything for me, and I felt good around her. Again, don't get me wrong, I didn't love her in the way that my heart was entirely devoted to Ladybug, but Marinette and I should have a better relationship than we did. Every time I tried to become closer, she yanked away, frightened or startled or nervous.

I pushed my thoughts of Marinette away and began to head for the woods. I wished I could stay there forever. The forest was a place where my mother and I spent days playing together in. We would paddle in the stream that ran through the center or eat cookies from Marinette's parent's bakery on a fallen log. (I had managed to bring the topic back to Marinette again, well done). We had so many happy times before she passed away, so many memories that I wished I could live in forever. Then a stray, unwanted idea planted itself in my head. What if I did? What if I ran away? I could escape my destiny; I could run from my fate. I had some money, so I could buy some basic provisions, but I needed to leave the country immediately. That way I wouldn't be forced to marry Chloè or become king or anything, I could be me, but I could only find myself if I entered the woods one last time. I needed one moment of peace before I became a runaway. It was a reckless idea, the whole lot of it, but it was all I had. The seed was planted.

The woods were welcoming, as usual. The branches brushed lightly against my shoulder with each stride I took. The ground was soft due to the heavy rainfall from the previous night. It squished under foot with a loud squelch, which was disgusting but pleasant. The only negative part was that Plagg was being an insensitive, yet logical, jerk.

"This is a terrible plan. A marvelously terrible plan." He tried to reason with me,

"I don't care," I replied honestly.

"You're just going to abandon everything?"

"Yes,"

"Nino?"

I sighed sadly, but I couldn't let him talk me out of it.

"Alya? And, what's her name, Marie Antoinette?"

I gave him what was hopefully my most patronizing look and tried to correct him,

"Marinette?"

"Yes, her too. Ladybug! For cheese's sake."

Ladybug. I would be leaving her behind, and the battle against Hawkmoth. Wasn't I a key part in this rebellion of sorts? Didn't Ladybug need me? Didn't I need her? I had to stay and help. But what would I be giving up? A chance for freedom. A life where I wasn't controlled by my father. A life where Adrien Agreste could be who he wanted to be. It I would have to live with the guilt of my selfishness. I would have to deal with knowing that I let everyone who I cared about down. Oh, who knew running away could cause so much inner quarreling?I had to keep going with the idea. I could always come back, but I may not get a chance to leave again. Why was I doubting myself? There was no point contemplating it anymore, I had decided and I refused to change my mind, but it made me falter.

Suddenly, I heard footsteps. They were too heavy for woodland creatures. I began to panic. Someone found out about my disappearance. They were trying to bring me back. I couldn't go back. I started to run as fast as I could, my head throbbing with silent screams. They said no, no, no! Not today! Not ever! I dashed between the hazy outline of trees. The screams kept going, up until the point where I crashed into something.

Then they silenced, making me feel dazed and confused. Where was I? In the woods, yes. I was lying on my back, but how did I get there? Oh, I crashed into Marinette. Marinette? It was my black haired classmate! But why was she out in the woods? And why was she lying on the squishy ground? Ah, I crashed into her. After collecting my scarce thoughts swiftly and got to my feet.

"We need to stop meeting like this," I joked while offering her my hand. I couldn't see many details of her face, but I just knew her eyes showed an expression of shock and confusion.

"A-A-Adri-Adrien?" She stammered. I sensed her hesitation, her inner debate and then her acceptance as she let me help her up.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. "You shouldn't be outside at this time of night."

She looked at me suspiciously.

"I could- same for- say." She groaned and took a deep breath. "I could say the same for you." She said it slowly, giving a long, obvious pause after each word. She began to fiddle with her bag and I realized she was also wearing warm clothes. It looked like she was prepared to leave forever.

"You're trying to run away!" I exclaimed. Marinette's life was perfect! She had a family, friends, freedom and a… wait. She didn't have a good destiny. I cast my mind back to the day so long ago when Mari and I first met. We were both trying to escape because of our destiny.

"You t-too." She accused, and I laughed.

"Well, not as prepared as you," I said, gesturing towards her pack. She glanced at it and opened it, then pulling out her provisions. There were two apples, three loaves of bread and a lot of cookies. By a lot of cookies, I meant about two hundred cookies.

"Tikki eats cookies." She said suddenly and quickly, trying to explain herself and I nodded, knowing the feeling.

"Well, Plagg's obsessed with cheese."

She giggled and sat on a nearby rock. She began to divide her provisions in half, and through the hazy outline, I could see her putting one apple to the side and two loaves of bread. She handed them to me, and I realized that she wanted me to have them.

"No, that's practically all of your bread and you only have one other apple."

"Y-You didn't bring any. You should have them."

"No, that's my problem." I protested, but she practically shoved the food items into my hands. I looked at the two loaves of bread. She was only left with the smallest loaf. My two were perfect, so I took the biggest and broke it into two with ease. I gave her the bigger half. She shook her head and her voice turned stern.

"Adrien, I have about a thousand cookies, I'll be fine."

"You can't live off cookies alone."

"Yes you can!" Tikki made an appearance by popping out of Marinette's coat pocket. "I do it all the time!" Gah, she was so positive. I wanted a kwami trade.

"You take it." I nodded towards her, and she blushed.

"Thank you." She mumbled. I noticed that she had stopped stammering. It was a pattern. At the start, she couldn't even say two words. Then, once we began to connect, she became witty and clever and awesome, all uncertainty fading away. She came out of her shell.

"So," she said. "Why are you running off?"

"Honestly, I don't know." I laughed. "I just thought of it and it felt like it was the right idea."

"Same with me. It was always at the back of my mind, but then I just needed to."

"But what caused it? For both of us, I mean."

"Well, a lot of things have been weighing on me, and then Chloé was just too much today, so I was just like, oh forget it and gave up."

Her tale was the exact same as mine. So many things ticking us off until we reached the overflow limit. Then we just broke. We didn't have a plan or a good reason to run, seeing as there were tens of people who could help us, but we felt the need to.

"This may sound odd, but I feel the exact same way," I confessed.

"Really?" she asked, genuinely amazed.

"But there's one thing that confuses me."

"What's that?"

"What is bothering you? Your life is perfect." I knew it was something about her destiny, but I wanted to take the subtle approach.

She snorted. "Far from."

"But why? You have everything."

"Look, Adrien, you have everything. You're a freaking prince. Not a freaking cursed girl." Her eyes widened in unison with mine, she showed the literal definition of crap on her face.

"Fudge." She muttered.

"Cursed? You're cursed?"

She sighed. "Well, now that you know, no point hiding it. Yeah, I'm cursed. Hawkmoth cursed me to sleep forever."

"Forever?"

"Forever, starting age 17. But you can't tell anyone. I don't want them to worry."

I swore. "I thought I had it bad. I mean, whoa. I don't really know what to say."

"It's fine. There is no good reaction."

"I'm sorry."

"What for? You didn't do it."

All this time I had known her, I had never seen a single sign. I had been too caught up in my own selfish matters. I was terrible. I should have asked her how she was when I saw she was upset, I should have tried to make it better. And now I was abandoning the fight against Hawkmoth, even though it could save her. It could save her! If Ladybug and I defeated Hawkmoth, his magic would fail. Her curse would be lifted. We were the only ones who could help her. But I was giving up. I was leaving. Now I had to stay, I had to help her.

"Marinette, I have to go home."

"What? Why?"

"We can't let Chloè get to us like this. We can face more, but we can work together. I can help you through this. But we need to go spur of the moment idea is unplanned and unnecessary, we have people at home who care about us, who can help us."

She thought about it, she said:

"You're right. We are idiots."

"Absolute idiots."

"Let's go home."

I realized that from the time I helped her up to then, we had not broken hands, and I didn't mind.

 **I did update this on time, then it didn't update. So, here we go again.**


	17. Chapter 17

"Is he alright?" A woman with dark hair asked me as she paid for the violet ball gown she was purchasing, her azure eyes filled with concern as they cautiously shot over to my mumbling partner.

"I have no clue," I replied. "Thank you for your business."

Chat Noir was acting strangely as if he was suddenly hit with a passion about Hawkmoth. He kept mumbling away about strategies and plans and weaknesses while I tried to calm him down. At the same time, I had to manage a hoard of customers and Chat was no help. Then, finally, when the last garment was sold, the money counted, the table cleared, I began to get nervous, or more nervous.

"Chat," I spoke softly and gently shook his shoulders. "Hey, Chat?"

"Yes?" he replied.

"Are you okay? You've been acting…" I tried to think of a word kinder than 'crazy', "strange."

"Yeah, I'm-" he cut off at my skeptical look, "not great, actually."

"Well, tell me. I'm your friend."

I perched on the stall and swung my legs back and forth.  
"I'm not going anywhere." I further prompted him, and he relented. He sat down next to me and sighed.

"Hawkmoth needs to be gone."

That didn't really come as a shock, I hated him as much as the next masked sorceress, but why did I hate him? My curse, obviously but there was nothing I could do about that; It was unbreakable. The taxes? But I didn't even pay them, my parents did and they survived. It did lead me to my original spark of power, but that was filled with fury, little hatred. To be fair, I had no good reason to need him gone. I just did. But I couldn't risk my, or anyone's life, trying to kill him. Chat continued.

"We need to do it."

But, why did we? The only good reason I could think of is my curse, and I refused to let Chat risk his life to avenge me. It was my problem, and revenge is a dish best served cold.

"Chat, we aren't strong enough yet." I tried to conceal how I was really feeling, "if we wait a year or two, then maybe-"

"I don't have a year, LB! If we don't defeat him in a few months, then there's no hope for her!"

Her? A friend? A sister? A girlfriend? Suddenly I felt angry, maybe… jealous? I hated this girl automatically. No, I wasn't jealous, why would I be jealous? I just didn't want my partner distracted, that was the reason, not jealousy. But the girl needed help, and I didn't want to give it to her. Again, I was oblivious to my reasoning, I just didn't.

"Chat, I can't risk my life for someone I've never met!" My voice was angry, but his was sad.

"I thought you would help."  
"You thought wrong," I said and slammed the money on the counter to pay the stall fee.

On the way out, I felt regret, so much regret, but I couldn't turn back, even as he screamed at me from behind, screaming how much he hated me.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

Tears streamed down my face. As soon as I turned the corner of the street, I had run back but he was gone. I doubted he would ever come back. I don't know what came over me. I should have told him that I would help the girl. I shouldn't have felt angry but I did. And now I regretted it. I was afraid. I was afraid. I was afraid of Hawkmoth, of my curse, of my looming future, everything! I was too afraid to help a girl who needed it, I was too frightened that I would make things worse and that everyone I cared about would pay for it. Because that's Marinette! Just a clumsy, stupid, stammering girl who meddled in things she shouldn't have and destroyed it all.

I reached my alleyway where I changed from calm, confident Ladybug into wretched Marinette. But I didn't reach for my mask. Instead, I let myself drop to the floor and let my head fall on top of my knees. My tears had been silent up until this point, but I allowed myself to wail and sob in the dark, quiet alley.

"Oh, Mari."

I looked up and saw that Tikki had emerged from her hiding place and was giving off a rosy glow through the darkness. I sniffed and tried to compose myself.

"I'm alright, I'm alright."

She shook her head.

"Are not," she reached out and wiped away a tear with her mitten-like hands. "Why did you say that to Chat? You do want to defeat Hawkmoth. You want to get rid of the curse and make life better for everyone. Why would you be ashamed of that?"  
I began to cry again, but this time quieter. I remembered the dream that he sent to me, him looming over me as if I was nothing. I felt powerless. I felt like I was insignificant, practically nothing.

"I'm scared, Tikki," I whispered, loud enough for her to hear.

She was about say something, maybe console me, but then another voice rang triumphantly through the alley.

"Aha!"

Tikki was startled and flew back into my purse, but and other kwami with an orange glow illuminated the speakers face. Light brown skin, green eyes, and hair that blended from brown to red.

Alya.

"I knew you were lying, I knew it! I can't believe it, Marinette. Friends tell each other things; they don't keep secrets! And don't get me started on-" She paused, noticing the state I was in. "You've been crying," She looked closer. "You're still crying."

I just stared back at her. She followed me, stalked me, and I wasn't even surprised. It was just like Alya to do that. Besides, she had a point: friends don't keep secrets.

"I'm sorry." I choked out suddenly. "I'm sorry, I'm the worst friend in the world. I just wanted to sew and design and-"

"Girl," she sat down beside me and threw her arms around me. "It's okay, but that's not why you're crying."

I thought of Chat's betrayed face, of his hateful words. I opened my mouth, but then I saw him. A tall wide shouldered figure, one that I had fought so many times. And he was close enough to reach out and grab me; He must have snuck up while I was crying.

"Alya! Look out!" I tensed, ready to defend myself, but he didn't lunge at me, no. He jumped forwards and seized Alya in the chokehold position.

"No! Let her go!" I screamed. I summoned the only spell I knew, the shield, but you could only use it for self-defense. Hopefully, Rodgercop didn't know that.

"I'm warning you!" I threatened, but his face lacked emotion. He sensed my bluff.

"Surrender your earrings."  
"Don't!" Alya gasped. "Don't do it!"

My breathing became rapid. I had to make a choice: Save Alya or save my powers, which could defeat Hawkmoth and then save Alya.

"What happens if I don't?" I asked.

"We keep the girl until you give them up, or until your curse."  
"So, you'll just let her go if my curse hits before I surrender?" I said, hoping that Hawkmoth could perform one, just one, great act of mercy, but the glint in his evil eyes told me no. He slowly drew a finger across her throat to symbolize death.

"No…" I muttered as he dragged her off. Alya squirmed and shrieked.

"Forget about me! Keep the earrings and save Paris! I'm always going to be your friend; do you hear me?"

"I'm sorry!" I cried. "I'll save you, I promise."

Rodgercop turned the corner. I should have chased after her, but my legs were trembling. I started to scream. I wailed and cried and pounded my fists against the wall of the alley. How could a day go so terribly wrong? I was content at the start, the sunlight shining in through my bedroom window gently waking me, then I was excited to begin the market day, but then it all went wrong.

I was so caught up in my misery that I didn't notice another person creep up on me, but this time the person just crouched down beside me and placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. I looked up at him, my blue, bloodshot eyes met his masked emerald green.

"Chat," I choked, my voice hoarse.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

I thought of me yelling at him, of losing Alya, of me falling asleep, of that poor girl who Chat wanted to help. It was all Hawkmoth's fault. It was all on him. If I didn't have a reason before, now I did. In fact, I had plenty before, I just didn't want to see them.

"I want to kill Hawkmoth," I spat ferociously, my sadness turning to hatred and fury. "I want to tear him to shreds and stomp on them. Will you help me?"

He grinned and accepted me into his arms.

"'Course. We're partners, aren't we?"

 **Lots of angst. Lots and lots of angst. End of the year test coming up, wee!**


	18. Chapter 18

A new face had shown up in the market, and she was masked too.

What a copy _cat_.

This was around two weeks after Ladybug and I had decided to work and plan to defeat Hawkmoth, instead of just taking out the odd baddie every once in a while. We had plenty of time until Marinette's birthday, just over nine months, but I felt it ticking away with every movement of the clock. She didn't have long enough to live out her life properly, only get a small taste of what everyone else had, then to always be separated from who she cared about because she was cursed to sleep forever and never die. It was the cruelest way of torment, so why would Hawkmoth take it out on a girl as nice as Marinette? What did she do? Or, more likely, what did her parents do?

But, back to the new masked vender.

She was standing at a stall which had all sorts of pottery laid out across it. Pots, dishes, tablets with the most precise of engravings. We stood in front of her stall after we had finished for the day, drinking in all of the intricate designs. She looked at us, her blue eyes wide and expectant. Her blonde hair hung loose and softly around her shoulders.

"Can I help you?" she asked meekly, her voice nervous.

"These are amazing!" Ladybug exclaimed. "Did you make them?"

"Yes, thank you."

I bent down to examine a wide mouthed pot closer. It descripted a scene, with a girl sitting on the edge of a river, all carved with thin, detailed lines. So detailed that you could even make out the wings on the little butterflies.

Butterflies.

"I like your mask." Ladybug pointed towards her bee themed mask, then her bee themed outfit. "And your clothes."  
"Thanks, but I'm sorry I copied you. It was just the only way to show my art without my parents knowing." She admitted, and Ladybug's eyes widened.  
"Wait- your parents don't know you're here?"

"Nope. They want me to be a blacksmith, not a potter. They disapprove." Her eyes became shocked at what she just confided. "Oh no, please don't tell them."

Ladybug smiled widely.

"Are you kidding? I come from a similar situation. You know, I think we're going to get along well."

"Really? I mean, that's just- really? Because you're like, my idol."  
I tuned out their conversation and looked at more of her works. In each, a found at least one butterfly. The butterflies, her mask (just like what akumas wore), and her ways of making Ladybug empathize with her, it all added up.

"See something you're interested in?" She chirped towards me.

"No, it's just," I gulped, the fear of being caught overwhelmed me, but I choked out the words. "You really like butterflies, don't you?"

Her eyes, so innocent before, narrowed for the slightest of moments, and I could her true self; cold and cruel but a good actress. Then they returned to normal.

"Yeah, they're pretty."

So suspicious.

I pulled Ladybug aside.

"Look, we can't trust her."

She looked awkwardly at the girl, then at me.

"Why?"

"Are you kidding me?" Did she really not see how obvious it was that she was an akuma, trying to gain our trust?

"There are butterflies everywhere, LB!"  
Her eyes, confused before, turned to skepticism.

"She's not an akuma, Chat."

"She is!"

"Alright, you're being ridiculous. She's just a girl." Ladybug left the market in a huff, but I stayed, watching the girl.

Not in a stalker way, no, Chat Noir was not a stalker, nor was Adrien Agreste, but more like in a 'you're up to something' way. She got a lot of business for her first day, and she greeted each customer with positivity.

Yeah, right.

She finally packed up for the day, putting each one of her unsold works carefully into a crater, which I hadn't noticed lying beside her stall. Then she lifted the box and left. I got up from my crouched position behind a tree and, with shaky legs, followed her. For some reason, the thrill of spying and danger shot a cold rush of adrenaline throughout my bones, forcing my eyes to dart around suspiciously. I thought I was doing well. If she turned, I ducked. If she glanced behind her, I would leap behind the nearest large object. They could write novels about me! Adrien Agreste, the prince by day, the secret spy Chat Noir by night. My life was that interesting.

Remember when I said, "I thought."? Put an emphasis on 'thought', because when she reached a blacksmith's shop she whipped around, her hair lashed through the air.  
"Why are you following me?" She snapped, her deep blue eyes burning with anger.

"Me? I'm not- I mean, I would never- I mean…" I stammered, trying to think of some excuse. My confident aura faded, leaving a hopeless kitty behind.

"Oh, _please_. You've been practically stalking me the entire walk home. What is your problem?"

I decided to take the angry approach.

"What's my problem? What's yours? You've got butterflies stamped all over you designs! You wear a mask! It's so obvious!"  
"What's obvious? They're just butterflies, and _you_ wear one too!"

"That's different!" But it wasn't different. I felt silly now that she was calling me out. My brain told me that she was just a girl who wore a mask and liked butterflies, but my heart disagreed. There was just something about her that was so familiar, yet so evil.

"Oh, and how so?"

And just as I was about to say some useless and meaningless thing, her eyes widened.

"Look out!" she yelled and tackled me to the floor, just as a jolt of bright light skimmed past my ear. I searched for the cause, and I groaned. Pixelator held his akumatized object in his hand, pointing it straight at us. No, straight at her.

I summoned my cataclysm, ready to strike, but she got there first.

I hadn't seen her comb before, but now I did and It was glowing. It glowed so bright that it burned my eyes. Her box of pottery fell to the ground and all of her beautiful works smashed into gazillion pieces, but she didn't make an outburst of disappointment; she was too focused on pounding Pixelator's face in. She closed her eyes for a split second and strings of light appear in the hands like whips. She started to slice her arms through the air and swiping at him with her weapon. He dodged, but it was only a matter of time before she knocked him over. He lay on his back, groaning. She let the whips fade out of existence.

The girl walked over to him and grabbed his akumatized object.

Akumatized objects are where the akuma's powers are stored, and they're usually well-guarded. They're powered by the user's negative emotions. Ladybug and I had only worked that out a week ago, so we had begun to plot how to separate the akuma from the object. We guessed that Rodgercop's was in the pendant around his neck, but we hadn't gotten a chance to check it out yet.

Anyways, Pixelator scrambled to his feet and ran as fast as his legs could take him. The girl walked back over to me, looking angry as ever.

"That's like, the fifth one this week." She muttered and I slapped myself on the head.

"So you _fight_ akumas? You aren't one?"  
"What? No!" she exclaimed. "Why would you think that?"

I felt bad after judging her on an impulse, but I was so _sure_. The masks and the butterflies and… ugh.

"I'm sorry." I apologized, and I stood there looking at my feet in awkward silence. "I should be going now."

"Yes, you should." She said coolly and, leaving her box and broken pottery shards behind, stormed off down the street.

MLBMLBMLB

Once again, Chloé Bourgeois stood in the wretched alley, waiting for her employer. As she stood there tapping one foot impatiently, she thought about what she was getting in return, and how terribly she longed for it. The status as a princess, then queen, would elevate her status so high that all would be forced to respect her, no one would defy her. Except maybe Hawkmoth, but she would cross that bridge when she got to it. She was power hungry and unafraid to admit it.

He finally arrived, ten minutes late. He said no greeting, just these two words:  
"The plan?"

"Going perfectly. I have Chat Noir trusting me, and Ladybug is wrapped around my finger."

"Good." He said. "Make sure it stays that way. Miss Dupain-Cheng is getting out of control, so we need to put a stop to her 'Ladybug" fanatics."

Then he turned on one heel, and with a swish of his cloak, he was gone.

She thought the plan was going smoothly. Emphasis on _thought_.

Because there was someone a little further down the alley, and he heard everything.

Not who you expect, however. Someone who hasn't played into the story much yet, but just you wait for this red headed boy to jump right in.

 **Mood: AAAACKKKKKK.**

 **I have my end of the year tests coming up, choir auditions, summer feels like years away. :(**

 **By the way, 10k views! I don't know if people celebrate this but I sure do.**


	19. Chapter 19

I was sketching on a small, quiet spot on the Seine. The river moved lazily, reflecting the slow-paced, sunlit day where all I wanted to do was lie down on the fresh grass of summertime and bask in the light. Ah, summer. Seeing as school was over for the year, I could spend endless hours designing in the fresh air. But it wasn't perfect. No, it couldn't even come close, because Alya was still gone. He still held her captive, and every hour I spent dawdling was an hour I could have used to work out a strategy or find a weakness. I felt incomplete without my best friend. Others noticed her absence, but none knew where she had gone, not even her parents, only me, and I couldn't tell them. I couldn't tell them Hawkmoth took her because all hope would fade. They would stop looking for her, they would assume her dead, though some already did. 'A month has passed,' they would say, 'she's gone.'.

I glanced down at my work. It was a dress design, themed as a fox in honor of Alya and her costume the night of the ball. I had the perfect beaded necklace in mind for it; I could ask Queen Bee to mold the beads from clay. I liked Queenie, everyone did. Even Chat, once he got past his original suspicion. She was witty and clever, she always had something to say, but she made far fewer puns than Chat. I appreciated that because I don't think I could have dealt with two of them. Though something seemed kind of off about Queenie, but I couldn't put my finger on it. She just seemed so much like me. Well, Marinette me. We were eerily the same, but that was just coincidence, right?

I was yanked out of my puzzling thoughts by my name being called several times.

"Marinette! Marinette!" I looked over my shoulder to see Nathaniel running over to me. I raised my hand in greeting.

It was a well-known fact that my red-haired classmate had a crush on me. Why? I don't know; I was clumsy and not at all pretty. He confessed to me, I said I didn't really like him in that way, that was the end of that. He wasn't one of those boys who protested or was resentful. He moved on, and now we were pretty cool.

He reached me, panting his words instead of saying them.

"I-I-I have to tell- to tell you something."

"Relax, take a breath." I patted the ground beside me, gesturing for him to sit down, which he accepted gratefully.

"So?" I asked. "What's wrong?"

"I know-" he began, but then he was cut off by someone appearing out of thin air and interrupting our conversation.

"Hey Marinette, Nathaniel." Nino said gloomily, his kwami equally upset on his shoulder.

"Hi, Nino." I said, feeling sorry for him; He thought his girlfriend was dead, and he hadn't been the same since.

"Yeah, hi." He said again and dropped to the ground on the other side of me. "What are you two doing here?"  
"Just hanging out." Nathaniel replied a little too quickly. Didn't he want to tell me something? Something really important? He obviously didn't want to say in front of Nino, so I kept my mouth shut.

"Oh, cool." He gazed blankly across the river. "I'm meeting Adrien here."

I didn't mean to make a noise, but I let a squeal of terror slip past my lips. Ever since I accidentally spilled my secret to Adrien, I had been avoiding him. It crushed me, but I didn't want some big confrontation where he concluded that I should never design again, which seemed to be the norm in those situations. I hated every second I spent away from him, but it was for the best. I had to focus on defeating Hawkmoth, not on some stupid love story.

So up I got and with a hasty "Bye!" I sprinted as far away from there as possible.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

Now I was at Alya's parent's restaurant, a place which I had also avoided. I was avoiding a lot of things recently, but I had finally realized that I had to talk to her family, to tell them not to loose hope. Her mother was cleaning a table at the back of the empty room. She turned to see who had just entered, and I suddenly felt frightened. She looked like she had aged twenty years and hadn't slept in just as long.

"Oh, it's you Marinette." She had an expression of desperation etched all over her face, she must have thought I was Alya, but it faded as soon as she saw me.

"Hello…" I said meekly, uncertain how to begin. Express how sorry I was? Tell her the truth? Leave? Leaving was sounding pretty good right about now. I could keep running from all of my problems like the hero I was. I opened my mouth, then closed it again. It wanted to spill out my whole story, about Ladybug and the curse and how Alya was taken because I wanted my powers.

She stared at me silently and I stared straight back at her. Then she slowly walked over to me and hugged me warmly. My eyes watered.

"I'm so sorry," I whispered, but she shook her head.

"She's not gone until they find a body." She let me go and was about to turn away when I foolishly said:

"Mrs. Césaire… I have to tell you something."

She repositioned her focus on me.

"Yes, Mari?"  
"I… I know where Alya is."

I told her that Hawkmoth had taken her captive, but I didn't tell her about my curse or Ladybug. I just told her Hawkmoth had taken her, and that was enough. She crumpled to the floor, stunned into silence before she began to sob loudly. The sounds of a broken mother.

I wondered if my mother would sound like that when my curse activated.

I left soon after that because I felt so out of place. I felt like I was making things worse, as per usual. Man, when did I get so depressing? Everything seemed so gray and empty. Maybe that's how Hawkmoth was trying to make me feel. He was succeeding.

In that moment, I really needed another hug.

Tikki returned from wherever she had been exploring, saw my state and sighed.

"I think it's time to learn a new spell." She piped, and I agreed.

MLBMLBMLB

Nathaniel had tried to find Marinette again, but she disappeared off the radar. He needed to find her and tell her everything that Queen Bee was plotting, but every time he tried to reach out to her, someone got in the way.

Not just any someone, Adrien.

She would see Adrien and run away from him, and this usually happened whenever Nathaniel was making his way over to her. Even the mere thought of him walking by made her scared… Nathaniel began to worry about her. Why would she be scared of Adrien? Did he intimidate her? Or did he… hurt her? Nathaniel clenched his fists in anger. He had been obsessing over Marinette for so long that he couldn't remember how he fell in love with her, but he knew that she didn't like him the way he did with her. Still, he wasn't going to let anyone harm her in any way, especially Queen Bee or Adrien.

But he couldn't warn her if he couldn't get close to her.

Then it hit him.  
He had to go to her when she didn't know Adrien, like an alter-ego.

Luckily for Nathaniel, Marinette Dupain Cheng had one.

 **Sorry that it's so short this week. I have a lot on my mind with examination stress, piano exams, writers block (It's real and painful), etc. When I get my vacation I'll be able to put more time into writing this and maybe a few other stories. I've got lots of ideas!***


	20. Chapter 20

Nathaniel was plotting something.

He came to the market week for the past three weeks, and he always stayed relatively near our stall. Ladybug was fine with this, but Queen Bee and I weren't so sure. She had even pulled me aside after the third time he had made an appearance and said:

"Something seems weird about that red-haired boy. He keeps looming around your stall."

"I know," I replied. "It's freaky."  
"Ladybug doesn't seem to think so." She pointed over to my partner, who was chatting with the boy. A pang of jealousy struck me, but I tried to ignore it. She hated it when I tried to flirt with her, and I respected her feelings, but that didn't mean I could stop mine. I had been trying to keep our friendship in the same state that it was; Just a friendship. I looked back at the moment when I had asked her if she wanted to do something after the market, and her replied etched itself into my brain.

"Chat, I like someone else."

She liked someone, and that someone wasn't me. The girl I had loved rejected me, and I had to accept that. Still, it hurt. I was trying so hard to move on.

But back to Nathaniel.

I walked back over to Ladybug, my fists clenched. Queen Bee trailed behind me.

"Hey, LB!" I called out and jogged the rest of the way. She looked up at me, startled for a split second but quickly relaxed.

"Yeah?" she replied and tapped her foot impatiently as I ran over.

"Did you want me to make more bracelets or do we have enough?" I asked, not needing an answer. We had what seemed like hundreds of them left over because I wouldn't stop. Her eyes widened with fear.

"No! No, no that's quite alright." She exclaimed, possibly imagining herself being strangled in homemade bracelets. Nathaniel was staring at his feet, silent and looking awkward. Ladybug was also gazing at the ground.

"Oh, okay." I tried to sound cheerful and looked at Nathaniel. "I don't think we've met before, who are you?"

He hesitated. "I'm Nathaniel. I should be going now."

"No, wait!" Ladybug protested. "I thought you had something to tell me!"  
"It's not important," He called out over his shoulder.

"You said it was!"

But he was gone.

"Good going." She said sarcastically and stomped away.

I had jealousy problems.

MLBMLBMLB

Nathaniel was still up to something. This time, it wasn't Ladybug he was trying to talk to. It was Marinette. Was he trying to make contact with every black haired, blue eyed girl in Paris? Was that what he was up to? If so, it was a pretty lame life mission. No, Nino told me that Nathaniel had a massive crush on Marinette, and this made me angry for some reason. No, not jealousy. Just annoyance. I was about to go talk to her because she had been avoiding me. I mean, I understood her and all, she told me that she was cursed, now she was afraid of how I would react. But I needed to let her know that I was going to support her the entire way through, because that's what friends do, right? They support each other. However, there wasn't really a problem in getting Nathaniel away; Marinette saw me and ran. Nathaniel slumped in disappointment while I called out after her, forgetting that it was at the public park and I attracted worried glances from the strangers around me. My yell made Nathaniel look over to me, and his usual kind expression turned to anger. He strode over to me with an expression that told me he wanted to rip out my guts and feed them to a komodo dragon. I was afraid.

"What did you do to her?" He spoke loudly and quickly. "What did you do?!"

"I- I don't know. She just…" I trailed off.

"How can you not know? She runs away whenever you're mentioned, let alone there! Did you hurt her?"

My eyes widened. For two second, my brain stopped working. All I could hear was the sound of my heart beating at the speed of a turtle as if it needed to slow down to take in the mere thought of me damaging Marinette. And did he mean physically? I had never harmed her. I wouldn't even have it in me. Or did he mean emotionally? Maybe I didn't know that I hurt her feelings… Maybe by pressuring her about the curse, I had made her feel like she should be scared of me.

"No…" I said. "No, I would never hurt her. She's my friend. My first friend. I care about her welfare, why would I try to destroy it?" Now it was his turn to be shocked.

"Wait… so you didn't- I mean, you-"

"No," I said coldly, then turned around. It had been a day filled with angry exits.

When I got home, or whatever you call the place where I've been locked up my whole life, I went straight to my room. I had the entire tower to myself, seeing as I was the only child living there, and it was too much space for one teenage boy. All I needed was a bed and some blankets for the bed, not a private living room or bathroom. I threw myself into the chair by my desk and sighed. Plagg was sitting on the corner of the wooden table, he had stayed home.

"So," he said cheerfully, reveling in my negativity, "How was your day?"

I shot him a flat look before picking up a pen and fiddling with it. I started explaining everything that had happened in the few hours that I had been awake. I finished and he stared at me.

"What?" I asked.

"No, lemme get this straight," He began. "You woke up, had breakfast, went to the market, worked at the market, saw Nathaniel with Ladybug, became jealous, scared him away, went to the park, saw Nathaniel with Marinette, Marinette ran away, Nathaniel got mad at you, and you went home."

"Pretty much."

He shook his head.

"But I thought you liked Marietta!"

"You said her name right five seconds ago Plagg, how did you mess up again?" I said in disbelief. Then the rest of his sentence hit me. I jumped up and tripped over the chair.

"Me like Marinette? No, that's ridiculous; I'm in love with Ladybug!" I groaned from the floor. Plagg looked down on me.

"Didn't Ladybug tell you that she liked someone else last week?"  
"Well, yes… but that doesn't mean that-"

"Whatever," He cut across me. "I'm hungry. Nobody has fed me all day."

"I fed you before I left."

"No, you didn't."

"Yes I did."

We bickered the entire way down the winding staircase, but I ended up throwing two large chunks of camembert at his head to shut him up. He ducked and then ate the cheese from the floor.

It scares me that people think I'm similar to my kwami.

MLBMLBMLB

That night, I lay awake listening to Plagg's drilling snores. They had become so continuous that when he stopped for 5 seconds I was worried he may have died, then realized that if he died then I ceased to live too. How disappointing.

I couldn't fall asleep, even though all of my limbs felt heavy and strained. My mind was whirring. What was Nathaniel doing? Was he plotting against Ladybug, but then why would he be trying to talk to her? If only there was someone who I could talk to about this who wasn't involved, aside from Plagg… Then I realized. Queen Bee didn't trust Nathaniel either. I would have to talk to her the next week and figure some things out, because if he was putting either of them in danger, even if unintentionally, I would have to stop it. I wouldn't let my friend and the person I loved go through anything else.

The person I loved…

 _'But I thought you liked Marinette!_ ' Plagg's voice rang through my mind. No, I told myself, I don't. She's my friend and my friend only. I tended to have to tell myself that a lot. Sure, I was doing quite a bit to break her curse, but Alya and Nino would do the same, if Alya was here and Nino wasn't so depressed all the time, and I did see that she was a good, kindhearted person who cared about others. She was also courageous and passionate and…

and…

Oh.

 _Oh_

I did have a crush on Marinette.

*I like Marichat. I realy like Marichat. In 3 days I am free from the prison they call a school.*


	21. Chapter 21

"Is he okay?" Queen Bee hissed in my ear, pointing to Chat Noir who was yet again pacing in front of our stall.

"Probably not, but I just roll with it now," I whispered back and returned to assisting customers.

Queen Bee had joined our stall, due to the fact that we attracted a lot more business in a day than she did in a month. We split the money with her, Chat Noir still taking nothing. One of these days I was going to have to shove a third of the profits into his palms.

Queen Bee was no replacement for Alya, but she was a good friend. I felt happy around her, almost like I could forget, just for a split second, that I was going to die. She was a little timid at first, but she grew out of her shell. Except for around Chat Noir. Whenever he tried to approach her, she shrank away like the sea pulling out the ocean tide. Her eyes would fill with distrust. He had to have done something to her to frighten her like that. He didn't like her at first, so maybe he confronted her and he found she had nothing to hide. She couldn't be hiding anything. She was too nice and shy and sweet. But sometimes I saw a glint in her sapphire eyes, cold and merciless. Pure evil. Then it would be gone and I would convince myself that it was all in my mind. It was all in my mind, right?

Chat was still pacing around and being utterly useless. I was getting annoyed and started to let my temper take control. I yelled over the roaring crowds peering at our goods.

"Chat Noir, I swear I will kill you if you do not get your furry behind over here right now!"

The crowd laughed, snapping him out of his thoughts. He blushed scarlet and made his way to the back of the stall.

"Sorry..." he muttered and didn't meet my gaze. Things between us had been awkward since I finally rejected his advances. I had to let him down because I knew I couldn't get into a relationship. What was the point? I had eight months left to live, eight months to kill Hawkmoth. I had to tell him that I liked someone else, which was true but I needed to give up my feelings for Adrien. I needed to let go and focus on what was important, and that was freeing everyone from the control of the sorcerer.

Queen Bee stepped around me to help out yet another customer. Chat took this opportunity to start talking about his new plan to rid Paris of Hawkmoth. It was completely ridiculous.

"Chat, think about it. Where on earth are we going to get twenty pounds of fish guts?"

He bit his lip. "You're right, it's stupid."

"It needs some work, that's for sure."

We sighed in unison.

"So what are we going to do?" He asked, not expecting an answer. "We're running out of time."

"I know, I know." For some reason, he had a deadline similar to mine. I never told him about my curse, so that can't have been it. Whatever the case, it made him frantically search for the quickest way to defeat the villain. It fuelled his soul. Queen Bee turned around and joined with our whispers.

"There is no way we can get twenty pounds of fish guts, but there is also no way we can get the Ferris wheel. May want to rule that one out of future plans."

I laughed. Queenie had quickly worked out what we were planning to do and wanted to assist us in any way possible. She was a pretty good strategist and knew all the tricks. She could figure out where each of the akumatized objects was on each of the akumatized persons. We still hadn't managed to destroy one, but it was only a matter of time.

I went back to helping customers and I noticed Nathaniel lurking in the shadows once again. Every week he appeared, but he hadn't said anything since Chat Noir scared him away. He said he wanted to tell me something important the one time he did raise his voice, but he never got around to it. Then he did the same to Marinette but didn't complete his sentence before I ran at the sight of Adrien. Did he know I was Ladybug? No, where could he have found that out? Ever since I started this whole 'sewing in secret' thing, I became paranoid that someone would find out, tell my parents and then they would ban me from attending the market forever. I had to tell myself that these feelings were irrational, but still… Nathaniel was up to something…

Chat Noir's eyes narrowed when he saw him and Queenie tensed. None of us said a word as he looked at me, his eyes darting between Chloé and Chat at the same time. He slumped forward and walked off, taking one last glance back at me.

"That guy gives me the creeps." Queen Bee shuddered.

"Yeah," I agreed. "He's been trying to tell me something for weeks, but he point blank refuses to do so in front of you two."  
"Oh?" she said with a tone of interest, her eyes almost forming slits.

Chat nodded. "Wonder what it is."

"Me too, Kitty. Me too." I replied with a sigh.

We finished soon after that snippet of a conversation. Queenie rushed out first, telling us that her parents needed her in the workshop. Chat waited for me, but I waved him off. I had to count out the sums of money and work out how much fabric I could afford next week. I used to do the book keeping at home, but it raised too many questions and peers from my parents. I added. I subtracted. My mind wore itself out, I had never been good at mathematics. Then I swiftly left the market. Most people stayed at their stalls, trying to snatch those last few late customers, but we sold out far too quickly to resort to that.

The Summer's day had turned cold all of a sudden. I shivered and wrapped my arms around my shoulders, bowing my head as I left the market. I reached my alley, stepped into the shadows and my foot nudged off something… something warm. I tried to scream but my breath was sucked away. My head raced. A hand. There was a hand, attached to an arm, attached to a body sprawled across the ground, gasping for breath. I knelt down beside it. There was a wound, a gaping hole, in the middle of his stomach. We were surrounded by a pool of his blood. I grabbed the hand, trying to bring him some ease.

"Who…who? He coughed. "Who are you?"

His voice, obviously masculine, sounded so familiar. Almost exactly like…

I focused on my hand, which now had the blood of a dying man coated on it. I willed it to ignite. Sure enough, a ball of fire appeared in my hand, ready to be thrown. Tikki had taught me that spell for an attack, but I only wanted its light. I stared into the pale face of Nathaniel, my dying classmate. His eyes widened with joy through the pain.

"Marinette," he began, but I cut him off.

"Nathaniel, how did you know?" I asked, checking that I still had my Ladybug mask donned.

"Marinette, listen to me."  
I drew my eyes towards his.

"People talking. She said you were Ladybug- they were going to betray you. She-" he started coughing again, and I knew he wouldn't be able to speak again. I shushed him.

"It's okay, I believe you. But now you need to rest, relax."  
He trashed around, struggling to tell me one more thing.

"She- It's- It's- Chlo-"

"It's okay, I'll be careful. Nathaniel, you have to rest."

He still protested against the pull of death, but I couldn't let him struggle anymore. Instead of my soft voice, I commanded him.

"Nath _, let go_."

He sighed and went limp. His eyes went glassy and unfocused.

As tears streamed down my face, I reached out from the pool of blood and closed his eyes.

I had never understood the atmosphere of death. I had never been in one.

Now, murder hung thick in the air.

 **15 minutes earlier**

Queen Bee dragged her red-haired classmate into an alleyway. He tried to scream, but she clamped her hand hard around his mouth. She slammed him against the wall and summoned her whips of light.

"What do you know?" She hissed. "What do you know?"

He pressed his lips together, so she let her whip fly. The glowing rope lashed across his forehead, leaving a line of exposed blood. He raised his hand to his head as she readied her whip again.

"Alright, alright." He snapped, trying not to loose focus. "I'll tell you what I know."

He took a deep breath.

"I know that Marinette is Ladybug, I know that you are planning to betray her, I know that you are in league with Hawkmoth, I know that you have no idea how to make pottery, I know that you are an akuma." With the strength he had left, he tried to manage a sly grin.

"And I know that you are Chloé Bourgeois."

She glared and he shrugged.

"You should pick your alleyways more carefully."

He braced himself for another crack of the whip, another lashing. Instead, he received A different sensation in his stomach, as if something was piecing it. He looked down at it to see Chloé pulling a knife from his guts. He collapsed and heard one more word from her.

"You should watch your mouth."

* **DON"T YOU LOVE DEATH?! I SURE DO!  
Almost as much as I like allergies. It's that time of year again for people with hayfever (me). Anyways, I literally finished this chapter 10 minutes ago, so much for being productive. I am going to start some more stories but I probably won't publish them until this is done. I have no idea when this will be done, I didn't make a plan. I have no clue what is going to be in each chapter. You guys ask me questions and I just say 'uh...'**

 **COVER ART: I STILL CAN'T PAY YOU BUT IF SOMEONE WANTS TO OUT OF THE GOOD OF THEIR HEART? NO PRESSURE.***


	22. Chapter 22

Nathaniel was dead. Someone found his body, brought it to the authorities. As his classmates, my friends and I all attended his funeral. I didn't know him well, our only real connection being the time he screamed at me, but the atmosphere of grief affected me. He lay in a simple wooden coffin, the ashes of his kwami in a vial around his neck. The ceremony was quiet, filled with sniffles and quivering lips. His parents cried silent tears the entire way through. I had been through mourning before, I knew how it felt to lose someone who you planned to watch grow, or who planned to watch you. My mother's funeral was so unlike Nathaniel's, yet so much the same.

When my mother died, all of Paris mourned. Every man, woman, and child donned a black outfit and attended. She was loved. She brought sunlight to the darkest of days, treating everyone as equals. She glowed. My father was never the same when she passed. He raised taxes, even though we had more than enough wealth, and the people already had to submit to the will of Hawkmoth's greed. Paris was sent head first into poverty, something my mother never would have allowed. If she was still alive...

Then Paris would be the most beautiful place in the world.

Yet, no matter how rich either of the deceased was, the mood was uncanny. Sorrow. It weighed us down, even as we left the church. All of our shoulders slumped forward, we all gazed down at our feet. Some cried, some tried to keep themselves composed for their friend's sake. Some of us walked alone, like me. Nino didn't come. He was searching for Alya. He hadn't appeared in school for days, he just searched for her. Speaking of Alya, Marinette was also a 'walk alone'. She cried. Her best friend, missing. Another friend, gone. Her life, ending. I walked up to her and wrapped my arm around her shoulder, trying to console her. Not in a romantic fashion, even with my newfound feelings for this blue haired girl, but a friendly way.

"Hey," I said softly. I wanted to say something like 'It's okay,' but I didn't want to lie to her.

We stopped, letting the small crowd pass by us. Her bloodshot and tear-filled blue eyes met mine, then she sobbed. I hugged her, just willing for her to stop crying. I couldn't bear to see her so sad.

We stood there for what was only seconds, but it felt like days. She pulled away.

"I-I'm sorry..." she mumbled, wiping her eyes with her sleeves.

"Don't be." I protested. "You have every right to be upset."

She sniffs and weakly smiles. My heart fluttered at the sight.

"Thanks, Adrien."

"No problem," I reply, and she walks away, her blue-black hair swaying in the wind.

I didn't know what to do.

For one, there was Ladybug. I was infatuated with her, everything about her. She was brave, quick-witted, funny, clever and kind. I loved her. But she was untouchable, she was an idol. Marinette was real. You could see her flaws and imperfections, but that didn't make you like her any less. I had a crush on them both, but I couldn't like two different girls. It was so inconsiderate. Perhaps it was best if I just ignored my heart. No pain or indecision. No hard choices. I could take the easy way.

But hadn't I already decided against taking the most appealing route when I decided to save Marinette?

Save Marinette...

Oh, crud.

Queen Bee and Ladybug were probably already waiting for me to hold our weekly strategy meet up, also known as complaining about our lives in a nice little cafe that Alya's parents owned. I literally sprinted to the palace, grabbed my satchel which contained my Chat Noir costume and sprinted right back out again. Nathalie saw me and called out after me, but I was gone! I winded through the streets, Gorilla in hot pursuit. I winded and weaved between shoppers and pedestrians. I was on fire. You couldn't catch Chat Noir! I glanced behind me, thought I had lost him and-

Crashed into a wall.

Good job, me!

MLBMLBMLB

I entered the cafè and was greeted by Queen Bee, who scowled at me and snapped,

"You're late."

I didn't understand our relationship. She was shy, then rude, then afraid, then cheerful and now rude again. She was a personality-changing akuma fighter. Actually, I think I was the only one who knew that she was a fighter. Not even Ladybug had discovered that. Speak of the devil, Ladybug was sitting in a chair beside Queenie, crying. I awkwardly slid into a chair across from my yellow masked friend, tapping my fingers against the table.

"So," I said, not easing the moment. "Pretty clawful times, huh?"

The second I saw the look of disgust on Ladybug's bloodshot eyes, I knew that I had messed up. She glared and I whimpered.

"Sorry... Bad timing."

"Extremely." Queen Bee agreed and crossed her legs. "LB here found that boy who died, in an alleyway, in a scary pile of blood."

"You found Nathaniel?" My heart thumped. No one knew how he died, they just found him with a stab wound. Nobody knew the murder or murderess. No one had even the smallest of inklings what happened.

"Yeah," she nodded shakily. He was just lying there, trying so hard to stay alive." She gulped. "I just change there, I didn't mean for- maybe if I had finished at the market sooner-"

"It wasn't your fault." Queen Bee insisted, placing her black gloved hand on the red spotted shoulder.

"She's right." I agreed. "But maybe we can work out how he died if you just tell us what happened."

She took a shaky breath.

"Right... Right..."

She closed her eyes, possibly trying to picture the scene.

"He was lying there in a pool of his own blood," she began, shaking at the thought. "I showed my face and he recognized me. He knew who I am behind the mask. He started telling me to listen, but he was so pale. He was so weak. He told me that someone was going to betray us, but he couldn't say who. Just that it was female."

"Why didn't he say a name?" I asked.

"He was so pale, he was fighting so hard, he was in so much pain. I couldn't bear it, Chat! I needed him to let go..." she started crying harder, and I felt what she was describing. It hurt me to see her cry.

"Ladybug, it doesn't matter. This is good information."

"Yeah, at least we know to watch our backs, right?" Queen Bee chimed in, and I nodded. The corners of Ladybug's mouth twitched upwards, but they hardened once more as the bell rang to signal a new customer.

"Rodgercop." She groaned. I glanced over my shoulder to shoulder and, sure enough, there he was. I looked back at Queen Bee, who's scowl had deepened.

Please don't cause a scene... I thought worriedly. A dramatic fight was the last thing we needed. Luckily, it wasn't us causing the outburst.

It was none other than Mrs. C herself, who barged into the dining area with a frying pan clutched in her hand. The entire room silenced and tensed as she started screaming at the akuma.

"Where is she?! Where is my daughter?!" She waved around the frying pan, her tight bun coming undone. I saw Ladybug mouth 'crud', but I didn't have the time to process it as Mrs. C was attempting to violently beat Rodgercop over the head with her frying pan.

"I don't know if we should help her, help him or do nothing." Queen Bee whispered and I couldn't help but smile. Ladybug, however, sat in either awe or terror, I couldn't decide which. Rodgercop was getting over his shock and caught the pan, then bent it in two. Mrs. C gulped, her confidence fading, but she should have been proud of herself. She was the closest anyone other than the people sitting at the table. Then I had an idea.

"Mrs. C!" I yelled, dragging everyone's eyes towards me. "Grab his whistle!"

She didn't hesitate. She snatched the string around his neck and pulled, snapping the string and breaking Rodgercop away from his power. They looked stunned, but Rodgercop sprang for the whistle, but Mrs. C dodged. The last of his strength was fading, but we had to destroy it. Ladybug stood.

"Here!" She called out, her hands ready to catch the item. The woman let it fly, and for a second time seemed to slow. It glided through the air, watched by all. Ladybug ran forward to catch it, as well as Rodgercop. Then, Ladybug snatched it out of the air.

"Yes!" Queen Bee screamed with triumph and Ladybug turned to me.

"Chat Noir, catch!" She tossed it to me and I grabbed it, unsure of what to do.

"Now what?" I asked and Queen Bee looked at me with annoyance.

"You have the power to destroy anything, don't you?"

"Oh, yeah." I was about to summon my cataclysm, as I had so named, it when Rodgercop charged at me. Damn, I forgot he was there.

I dodged and leaped onto the table, making Queen Bee squeal. He ran towards the table, so I leaped onto another, sending dish plates askew. Most of the people didn't mind, mainly because they were all too busy fleeing for their lives. With the agility of, well, a cat, I sprang around the room, trying to buy some time.

"You know, I could use a little help!" I called over to my partners as I narrowly avoided being hit with a fist. Even if Rodgercop had lost his inhuman strength, he could still frighten the living daylights out of me.

Ladybug summoned a ball of fire to her hand, but Queen Bee got there first. She equipped her light ribbons and let one fly, ensnaring itself around my pursuer's leg. She pulled back and he fell, giving me my golden opportunity. I summoned my dark power and allowed it to absorb the whistle, turning it into a pile of dust. We were silent, Ladybug staring at Queen Bee, who was pinning down the defenseless Rodgercop. Mrs. C was sitting on the floor. I was standing in a bowl of soup. All the customers had left. We were quiet. Then Ladybug broke the silence.

"Did we just-"

"Yeah." I agreed. "We did."

"What do we do with him?" Queenie snarled, gesturing towards the pathetic masked villain. "Kill him?"

"No!" Mrs. C protested, standing up from the floor. "He knows where my daughter is."

"He knows where Alya is?" I asked, imagining how depressed Nino was. Ladybug nodded.

"If he spills, we let him go," I suggested and Ladybug shrugged, also not wanting to resort to killing. Queen Bee was reluctant, but we convinced her with our glares.

"Alright," Ladybug cracked her knuckles. "Start talking."

MLBMLBMLB

That night, I crept behind a house, trying not to arouse suspicion from the family living there. I only wanted to make one of the residents aware of my presence, and he was on the top floor. I picked up a smooth stone and threw it at the window which I was absolutely certain was his. No answer. I picked up another one.

I was there for 15 minutes when he finally opened his window, shaking his fist.

"Who's there?" My best friend, Nino, demanded. "What is your-"

"Down here!" I called out.

"Who are you?" He said once more, and I answered him.

"My name is Chat Noir, and I know where your girlfriend is."


	23. Chapter 23

How do I end up in these situations?

It was partially Nino's fault. He came up to me one day after school and said,

"I know how to get Alya back."

I did too, but Marinette wasn't Ladybug. When I was the clumsy schoolgirl, I had to pretend to be gullible.

"Nino... What do you mean?" I asked hurriedly, my eyes darting to passersby. Ever since we learned that someone close to us would betray us, I felt paranoid, like someone was watching me. Who was working against me? Nino? Chloè? Queen Bee? Chat Noir? Could I trust anyone? Nino's bloodshot eyes dragged me back to reality, where I, Marinette, trusted everyone.

"This dude, he climbed into my window last night and told me that Alya was being held captive by Hawkmoth."

"What?" I tried to act shocked. "Hawkmoth has her?"

"Yeah, and this dude is planning to get her back. He wants me to help, and I knew that you would too so I asked-"

"Wait, hold up." I cut across him. "So, let me get this straight. Creepy guy sneaks into your bedroom, tells you that Alya's being held captive by Hawkmoth, asks you to join some cult to get her back, and then you volunteer me? Without me knowing?" My voice lowered to angry hisses.

"Uh, yes."

I restrained the urge to strangle my best friend's boyfriend.

"Nino!"

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? But I thought that you would want to help her, seeing as she's your best friend."

"Of course I want to help her!"

"Well, Chat Noir says-"

"Chat Noir?!" I repeated with a start. So it was the stupid cat's big mouth that had gotten Nino and me into this sticky situation. And we had agreed not to tell anyone about our efforts to return Alya home! That made two people who I wanted to strangle in the past five minutes.

"Yeah, Chat Noir. Look, Mari. If you really don't want to go, you don't have to."

"Nino... I'm not sure."

He slumped. Oh gosh, I knew how much Alya meant to him, and he thought he could rely on me for support to find her.

"If you change your mind, we're meeting at Alya's parent's bakery at five." He began to walk off, but my conscience forced me to grab his arm.

"I'll be there," I said and rushed home.

There wouldn't have been a problem for any other occasion, except for one little fact.

Ladybug was attending the 'Save Alya' meeting.

Damn it.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

How did I fix this problem? You may be asking. Well, I'll tell you.

In costume, I pulled Chat Noir into an alley before he entered the restaurant. Then I told him some lame excuse about 'the akumas are watching me' so I didn't have to go. Then I ran off, got changed, and met Nino outside the rendezvous point.

"Woah, Mari. I've been waiting for, like, 15 minutes."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." I panted, trying to catch my breath. I actually ran.

"Will we go in?"

"Yeah, alright." We entered, the bell over the door ringing. The cafe was empty, except for two masked persons sitting at a table with Alya's mother, who stood up as soon as she saw us and embraced us.

"I'm glad you could come." She whispered.

"Hi" Nino squeaked, his windpipe obviously as crushed as mine. She released us and turned to Chat Noir and Queen Bee.

"This is Marinette and Nino. They're Alya's friends from school."

"Hey." Nino waved. I said nothing. It was so odd to see my friends there, not recognizing me. "This is Rocky." He pointed to the kwami on his head.

"I'm Tikki." My own kwami chirped from my shoulder.

"Sit down, sit down." Queen Bee waved us over' a bright smile fixed on her face, "I'm Queen Bee, but you can call me Queenie."

"Well, Nino here already knows me, but I don't think we've met. I'm Chat Noir." He addressed me, a hint of amusement in his voice. For some reason, this ticked me off. We were supposed to be saving my friend, not flirting! Oh gosh, was he flirting? I could not stand him, even in civilian form.

"Actually, we have," I said cooly.

"We have?" He looked surprised, almost... Worried.

"Yes, but my leg was injured at the time. You helped Alya's sister find Alya."

"Oh, I had forgotten. I'm sorry." He relaxed.

I shrugged.

Nino was tense. He knew how I was when I got angry, and he could tell that I was beginning to ignite. I felt the nervous waves emitting from his brain, trying to work out how to change the topic. Luckily, Queenie did it for him.

"We're not here to mingle, we're here to work out how to free Alya from Hawkmoth's clutches."

"Right," Chat Noir said, not meeting my eyes.

"So, tell us the facts." Nino requested and Chat Noir opened his mouth to speak, but Queenie cut across him. Maybe she noticed the tension between Chat and I and realized that if he spoke again I would probably explode.

"Alya is currently being held captive in Hawkmoth's dungeon. We do not know the whereabouts of his palace, however. And even if we did, none of us have a clue where the dungeon would be. We also do not know why she is being held captive." I sighed at the last part.

"So we have to find a great big castle, right? Doesn't seem too hard." Nino said hopefully, but I cut him down.

"It's probably cloaked by magic," I explained to him. "Hawkmoth's a sorcerer, remember?"

Nino swore.

"How did you know that?" Chat Noir said suspiciously.

"Common sense." I shrugged.

"Also, how do you not know where a dungeon might be?" Nino asked again. "It's probably at the deepest layer of the castle."

"That's what we thought too." Queen Bee replied. "But Hawkmoth's known for his creativity. Locking people in towers, caves, et cetera. He can also think up of some pretty nasty curses, like the one about the girl falling asleep forever."

"That's just a story." Nino scoffed, but I looked down at my lap.

"Her point is, dungeons can be anywhere."

We thought about this for awhile, out heads trying to come up with a solution. Then it clicked.

"Adrien!" I laughed.

"No, I'm Nino, remember?"

"No, stupid, Adrien lives in a castle."

"And that means he'll have some sort of idea where a dungeon might be." Queen Bee finished.

"Also where a castle might be located, the needs and weaknesses." I continued.

Chat Noir was very still and silent.

"Snap out of it, Chat Noir!" Queen Bee yelled.

He blinked. "Sorry. Yeah, you guys can ask Aden-"

"Adrien." Nino corrected.

"Adrien, whatever, about castles and such."

"Then all we need to do is find it, go in and save Alya." Nino smiled, hope illuminating his face for the first time in weeks. I couldn't help but smile.

"And if we need costumes, Mari here has some sick skills with a needle."

This caught Chat Noir's attention. Of course, it did! He worked as a seamstress, for fudge's sake.

"You sew?" He asked.

"Yeah, but on such short notice I doubt I could-"

"Please Mari, you could whip up four ninja costumes in no time."

Queen Bee smiled.

"So it looks like we have the beginnings of a plan."

It could have been happy all around, but then Chat Noir had to go ruin it all.

"Wait... What do you mean by four ninja suits? You know that you and Marinette can't come in with us."

It took a moment for that to sink in. Then Nino scowled.

"What?" He demanded.

"Well, you don't have powers or any sort of special abilities, so..." he trailed off, but I raised my voice.

"So? What does that have to do with anything?!" I half yelled, making Mrs. C drop the plate of food she was carrying in for us.

"She's my best friend! You can't force me to sit put and wait for her to be rescued!" Now I was yelling. Tikki flew to join Rocky on Nino's head in fear.

"Look, princess-" He growled, but I screamed right over him.

"Don't you 'Princess' me!" I demanded. "You don't even know her!"

"Mari," Nino tried to soothe me. "Mari, calm down."

I did not calm down. Chat Noir looked frightened of me. His green eyes were widened in shock that the shy little girl had some bite. I wanted to strangle him for the second time that day. Instead, I hit the table.

"Say we're going or we don't help at all!" I demanded.

"Fine, fine!" He yelled back. "You can go!"

I picked up my bag. After all of the yelling, the silence seemed eery.

"Come on, Nino." He stood as well and Tikki rejoined me.

I glanced back at the table. Queen Bee was shaking, trying to contain her laughter. Chat looked embarrassed. He blushed and looked down at the table. Nino just looked uncomfortable.

"So..." Nino said. "Same time next week?"

"Yup," Queenie said, her voice filled with humor. "See you then!"

We walked out together and stood at the edge of the building while Nino gave me a lecture on why I had to not yell at Chat Noir again.

"I said I was sorry, jeez. I just lost my temper."

"Well, put your temper on a leash."

I was about to make a comeback when the door to the cafe opened. Queenie and Chat came out and as soon as the door was shut, Queenie began to laugh.

"Oh my gosh, She's awesome!" She giggled, referencing me. "She can even make you stop talking!"

"Shut up." My pun-loving partner said. "Not a word of this to Ladybug."

"About what? The fact that you just got your behind whipped?"

"Shut up." He mumbled again, blushing.

Her eyes widened.

"No way."

"No way, what?"

"You like her!"

I felt myself heat up. Nino's eyes glinted.

"I do not!" Chat protested.

"Chat likes Mari! Chat likes Mari!" Queenie teased in a sing-song voice very loudly.

"Oh gosh," I muttered under my breath, embarrassed.

"I do not like her! I met her half an hour ago!" He protested

"Sure," she said sarcastically and their conversation ceased.

"Not. One. Word." I told Nino. He snickered. I lightly punched his shoulder, but he wasn't expecting it. He landed on the ground.

"That's what you get." I laughed and he joined in too.


	24. Chapter 24

Let's get this straight.

I know nothing about castles, so you can imagine my alarm when Marinette said that Adrien would know something on castle structure. I kept my cool, but when I arrived home I pulled out 20 or so books on the subject. Plagg looked at me in an odd way.

"Why are you reading?" He demanded.

I sighed, flicking through the pages of endless paragraphs and in undecidable words.

"They expect me to know where Hawkmoth might keep his castle. I don't want to disappoint them."

"By them, you mean Marinetti."

"Marinette." I corrected. "And no, I do not feel the need to impress Marinette. We're just friends." I blushed and hoped Plagg wouldn't notice my blatant lie.

Marinette was different around Chat Noir. By different, I mean terrifying. The Marinette Adrien knew was a sweet girl prone to stammering, but Chat Noir knew Marinette to be a person who was defiant, fiery and scary. I kept seeing that picture of her eyes gleaming with sass. She trash talked her way out of the situation. In a way, she reminded me of Ladybug.

I felt disappointed that Marinette didn't like Chat Noir. My alter ego was who I wanted to be. I felt free whenever I slipped on my black mask, I could do whatever I wanted. Chat Noir is who I am and she couldn't bear to be in the same room as me. However, I hadn't been totally fair with her. All she wanted to do was save her best friend, but I wouldn't let her. I was so scared that she and Nino would injure themselves, or worse, and I could never forgive myself if that happened.

Anyways, back to me trying to swallow as much information as possible.

"Couldn't you just ask your father?" Plagg suggested but I shook my head.

"Father would never help me, let alone see me."

Plagg sat on the corner of the desk.

"You know what will make you feel better?"

"What?"

"Bringing me cheese."

I groaned.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

"You ask him, Marinette!"

"No, you do it!"

Two hushed voices debated angrily as I sat in Mrs. Cesaire's cafè. I pretended not to be eavesdropping, but I totally was. Neither of them had done what they had promised they would do. I supposed it was difficult to find me seeing as had been let out for the year, but I was sitting right in front of them! Why weren't they coming up to me? And why were they arguing over who had to? I turned around and wore a fake expression of surprise.

"Nino, Marinette! Hey." I called out. Nino grinned.

"Hey, dude. Didn't see you there."

Marinette simply squeaked as Nino dragged her over to me.

"What's up with you guys?" I said casually.

"Oh, not much."

Marinette squeaked again.

I decided they needed prompting. I put on the best face of despair I could and sighed.

"I was up all night studying for a test my father assigned when he goes and cancels it!" Nino sat down in an empty chair, but Marinette remained standing.

"Though luck, dude."

"Yeah, I made all these flash cards and things, which I brought." I reached into my satchel and pulled out folded sheets of paper. I threw them in the air and sighed.

"I guess I'll always be stuck with the useless information about where castles are located, the needs of a castle, defense mechanisms of a castle, how to put a castle under siege-"

Nino cut across me.

"Wow! I am really interested in castles." He said it in a voice that was too cheery to be genuine. "Do you mind if I take them?"

"Yeah, sure. Go crazy."

Marinette looked suspicious and Nino wore an expression that said: This is weird but I'm not going to question it. I stood up and placed some money on the table to pay for my drink.

"Okay, see you around!"

As I stood up and left, I heard Marinette mutter something along the lines of:

"I bet Chat Noir told him."

Yeah, something like that.

 **MLBMLBMLB**

The Save Alya crew met up once again and surprise surprise, no Ladybug! Well, I shouldn't be so harsh. The last time we saw her she explained that having all three of us together outside of the market would look suspicious, so she nominated herself to stay home and relax.

So, I got to have Queen Bee annoyed at me, Marinette glaring at me, Nino not understanding what the heck was going on, and Mrs. C constantly trying to feed us. The only part I was okay with was the food; I enjoyed stuffing myself with cookies, which Mrs. C and her husband bought from Marinette's bakery, while I waited for the others to arrive. Marinette and Nino entered together, talking frantically and quietly about Alya. Nino nodded to me in greeting but Marinette frowned. Ten minutes of awkward silence later, Queen Bee rushed through the door, panting her apologies. Her blonde hair was disheveled as if she had run through a wind storm.

"Right!" Nino clapped his hands together, eager to start. He pulled the sheets of paper that I had given him earlier that week out of his backpack and smoothed them out on the table.

"This is all the information we got from Adrien." He waved his hands over the sheets.

"There's quite a lot there." Marinette chimed in and pointed to a particular sheet. "Here, it gives a detailed description of the structure of a castle, its defense mechanisms and so on. And here," she tapped another piece of paper. "Is the needs of a castle. It turns out that the castle part is actually called the keep, while the castle is the keep and the outer part, which is where blacksmiths live and such. That means that castles have similar needs to towns, like fresh water." I nodded, pretending that this was the first time I had heard of this.

"And finally, this sheet has siege methods."

Queenie sat upright.

"So, this sheet will tell us how to get in?"

"Sort of," Nino replied. "Most siege methods are unsuccessful. One here says that if we should try to scale the walls, they'll just pour some boiling oil on us and call it a day. Also, if we try to use a battering ram or a siege tower the guards, assuming he had guards, will spot us from miles away. We could try to undermine the wall, which is digging a tunnel under the wall and filling it with flammable substances before setting it on fire, but that could take years, and starving them out is completely out. of the question given our numbers."

"Is there anything we can do?" Queenie complained when he had finished. She tried to snatch the sheet out of his hands to get a look at it but Mari intercepted her fumbling hand.

"A spy," Marinette concluded. "An insider could let us in if we paid him or her a good sum of money."

"Leave the money to me," I said, knowing full well I had enough to pay off whichever stranger we decided on. "The question is, how do we get an insider to turn on Hawkmoth?"

Silence.

"Yeah, thought so," I said and Marinette snapped at me.

"I don't see you suggesting anything else!" Her blue eyes glared at me with a ferocity that made me blush. My palms sweat nervously.

"No- I mean- it's just that-" I stammered and Queen Bee laughed.

"Oh, my gosh, you two are adorable!" She said, which received a blush from me and a scowl from Mari. Marinette took a deep breath and closed her eyes, trying to calm herself down.

"We need to find the castle first. So everyone, read the sheets and start theorizing."

MLBMLBMLB

There was in fact, one person inside Hawkmoth's closest circles who distrusted him. She had been forced into the akuma cult by her parents, who traded her to avoid taxes. She had been 10. Hawkmoth raised her like a daughter, teaching her that he was good and anyone who opposed him was bad. He taught her how to fight, and eventually granted her powers, contained in her necklace.

She had not been allowed out into the world until recently. She was to kill a man who had refused to pay Hawkmoth. At first, she had been glad. Finally! A chance to show her worth! She wanted to clear Paris of the freeloading scum. She entered his house, took her dagger in one hand and readied herself for the kill, but she found that she could not do it. She stared into the eyes of this man and saw kindness and gentleness in them. She did not make the kill. Now, she realized everything she knew was wrong.

She is the mistress if illusions. The commander of lies.

They call her Volpina.

 ***So, I am very proud about my knowledge on castles. I used castles from Ireland, seeing as a) I know about them and b) Ireland was ruled by the Normans who were from Normandy (note to self: check spelling), France and Paris** is **in France. Please don't yell at me if I messed up.**

 **Reader: Hey, is this story almost done yet?**

 **Me: erm.. we're about halfway through, I guess.**

 **Reader: :o**

 **Damn it I should have planned this instead of making it up as I go along. A year is too big of a gap to fill! I MEAN WE'RE ON CHAPTER 24 AND ONLY SIX MONTHS HAVE PASSED HELP ME.**

 **(It's also been around half a year since I published this and I haven't missed an update yet! :D)**

 **Finally, If you're confused about anything so far please feel free to ask.**

 **~Pancake***


	25. Chapter 25

In theory, our new mission was simple; Find someone in Hawkmoth's inner circles who secretly was willing to betray him. In practice, not so much. We couldn't just go around yelling at akumas, asking them if they would be willing to switch sides and risk being cursed into oblivion. Mainly due to the fact that Hawkmoth actually controlled the akumas. He granted them powers, and if they plotted to use the powers against him then he could inflict terrible pain on the said man or woman. Most people believed that little tidbit of information to be a myth like the cursed one, but seeing as that I was the living proof of those tales to be true I decided to believe it wholeheartedly.

Chat discussed it non-stop at the market. Chat was adamant that we could turn someone to our side, for the right price. I wasn't so sure.

"Money can get you a lot of things, but turning against Hawky is a total suicide. No akuma will accept it."

"But maybe-"

"No." I sighed. By the looks of it, it seemed impossible to bring Alya home. Oh, I missed her. I knew that if she were with us, she would make some sassy remark which would brighten the whole day; But it would not be needed if she wasn't being held captive. We wouldn't feel so depressed. It also didn't help that Queenie was a no show today. We could have used her quick thinking.

Every time we met to discuss how to save her, I felt guilty. It was my fault that Alya had been taken, all because I was too attached to a stupid pair of earrings. Tikki constantly told me that it was all Hawkmoth, but if I had just given him what he wanted we wouldn't be in this situation. Chat, Queenie and Nino wouldn't be trying to clean my mess. I couldn't even help. Ladybug couldn't attend the meetings because Marinette attended the meetings. From the looks Chat kept shooting at me, I could tell he wasn't pleased by this. He obviously thought I just didn't want to go, that I was putting my own desires over Alya's life. He thought I was selfish. Maybe I was when I chose my powers over Alya. Maybe I am a terrible person. Maybe I deserve my curse.

As Marinette, Chat annoyed me. I wanted to rip his face off while shrieking at the top of my lungs. I think it was because he joked around and flirted too much in a serious moment. If he did it with Ladybug, no big deal. We weren't under any immediate pressure unless you count the doom and suffering slowly creeping up on us. Also, he didn't take Nino and me seriously. It was like we were cute little accessories who were mildly useful but couldn't do much. To him, we were bottle openers or something. It infuriated me to the point of wanting to strangle him or blast him with a fireball, a spell which I had now perfected.

Shields and fireballs seemed pretty powerful. I didn't think there were many more spells I could learn. Boy, was I wrong? There were enchantments which could allow me to grow plants at a mere touch. There was magic which could bend water. There was a charm which shifted the landscape itself. However, the spell I wanted to use most of all was a little thing which creates the object you need the most in the certain situation: Lucky Charm. Sadly, it was difficult. Tikki insisted I start with some easier enchantments.

"Well, do you have any other ideas, bugaboo?" Chat Noir ripped me away from my thoughts.

"I think you shouldn't call me bugaboo," I said with a hint of annoyance, then continued,

"Honestly, I have no clue. I don't think anybody would betray Hawkmoth."

"Betray Hawkmoth?" A customer asked sharply and I cursed under my breath. I hadn't considered the fact that we were running a stall, and the stall had eavesdropping customers. I turned towards the speaker.

"Erm, hello," I said. "What can I help you with?"

She glared, her eyes reprimanding me.

"Please, I'm not an idiot."

I sized up the girl. Chestnut hair, olive skin, green eyes. She looked to be around my age. I glanced at Chat. He looked alarmed. Luckily, she was the only shopper at our stall; People tended to avoid us to try to stay on Hawkmoth's good side, even though he had no good side.

"I didn't say you were one," I said smoothly, trying to ease the situation. "How can I help you?"

She groaned and tapped her foot impatiently.

"You're plotting against Hawkmoth."

We stared at her, trying to work out a way out of the situation. When we found none, Chat slumped and I slammed my head against the wooden table.

"So it is true!" The girl looked proud of herself, then said words which made me jump.

"I can help."

There was a moment of stunned silence as Chat and I took in this runt of a girl. Then Chat burst out laughing.

"Yeah, right." He chuckled. I slapped his arm, but he kept giggling. I don't think he had been getting much sleep.

"I'm sorry about him," I said to the girl.

"It's fine. He'll just have to live with the fact that he let the one girl who could get you guys into Hawkies castle slip through his fingers." She turned to leave and Chat stopped laughing. His look of humor was replaced with a look of fear.

"No, wait!" He called out. "What do you mean?"

She turned back to us and smirked.

"The only reason I came here today was to see if the rumors were true. If you guys were actually serious about your 'I need to get into the castle and save Alya thing'."

"How did you know about that?" I gasped.

"I've been watching you guys for awhile now. Anyways, I can get you in. I also know where the castle is."

It sounded too good to be true.

"How can you?" Chat asked. She sighed and pulled a necklace out from under her shirt. It was shaped like a fox tail, mostly orange but fading to white at the tip.

"My name's Lila Rossi, but they call me Volpina."

MLBMLBMLB

Chloè walked quickly towards the alley. Her white shoes were cloaked with a layer of dirt and filth from the filthy ground in the area of Paris which Hawkmoth insisted they meet at.

He was waiting for her.

"You're late." He said and she shrugged.

"I tend to be late when I get word of last minute meetings."

He scowled at her, his temper rising.

"Watch your tongue."

"You can't replace me, I'm too important to the plan."

Hawkmoth tapped his foot.

"You made me loose my most trusted servant, Rodgercop. You let him give information on where I'm keeping the girl. And you still have not brought me any information of worth! Ladybug's power is growing. She is close to being ready to defeat me. I can sense it. You claim to be my most valuable asset, yet you do nothing!" He bellowed. A ball of purple fire ignited in his gloved hand.

"They're planning on finding a spy." She spluttered, trying to save her skin. "They don't have one yet, but they will. There are any number of akumas who could turn against you."

The fire fizzled out.

"Finally! You bring information of use! I will make Volpina do a search of the akumas and find any possible spies."

Chloè sighed with relief. She wasn't going to die. Oh, this was so much work to marry Adrien.

"They do not suspect you?" Hawkmoth asked suddenly.

"No, but they do suspect a spy. The boy... before I killed him, he told Ladybug that there was someone plotting against them. They don't think it to be me, but my time may be limited."

He sighed.

"Then be of use. I need the ring of the black cat as much as I need the earring of the ladybug. Keep an eye on Chat Noir. Find out who he is behind the mask."

"Sure thing." She grinned.

 **Ugh. Don't like this chapter. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU DON'T PLAN.**


	26. Chapter 26

Lila Rossi, or Volpina as she sometimes liked to be called, was a sad girl. Her gaze distant, her limbs dangled around as if they had given up. For all of her bravado and suspense, I could only see a girl who had lost her hope. She was one of those people who you just wanted to wrap a blanket around and give them a hot drink.

Once we got over the fact that she wasn't going to rat out our operation to Hawkmoth, we sat her down and made her tell us everything. It did not change my opinion of her state of happiness. Every detail made me want to cry. I thought my over-privileged life was bad, but Lila's was so much worse.

So much worse.

Her parents took one look at her and decided she would be too much work. They discarded her like a piece of paper. Hawkmoth found the crying baby. He took her in, raised her in secret. He brought her up surrounded by his evil ideas and motives; Of course, Lila was going to turn out as an akuma. To her, everything Hawkmoth said was correct and fair. He gave her her own akumatized necklace. He gave her strength. He gave her power. Then the time came for her first mission: To kill the mad man who refused to pay his taxes. Mr. Ramier didn't stand a chance.

"But I looked into his eyes," Lila explained, her hands shaking from the recantation. "I thought I was putting him out of his misery. He was insane, he refused to pay, he had a horrid life. But when I looked into his eyes, I saw someone fighting. I saw fear. I couldn't do it.

"I felt so weak and puny. I had failed the man who raised me. But everything had changed. I finally saw Hawkmoth as who he was. A monster. Then I heard about you two. They magical duo that was plotting to defeat him. I heard that you wanted to save the girl who he has locked in the dungeon. I came here today, trying to make sure it was true."

She gazed at us in a mixture of fear and sorrow. Ladybug glanced at me and I understood what she was thinking.

 _Do we trust her?_

She was an akuma. It could all be one massive ploy. Someone was trying to get close to us and take us down; It could be her. The fact that Volpina was famous for her lies and illusions didn't help her case. Still, she didn't seem like she was lying. I had glimpsed the trauma and the desperation in her eyes like she needed us to believe her. After a silence filled with consideration and debate, I spoke.

"M'Lady," I said. "I think she's telling the truth."

Ladybug tensed. Her masked bluebell eyes were narrowed with suspicion. She bit her lip, thinking some more. Then she groaned.

"Gah! I don't know."

I suppressed my laugh, but the corners of my mouth twitched upwards for a split second.

"Chat! This is serious." She complained and I sighed.

"Here's what we'll do," I suggested. "If she brings me and you to Hawkmoth's lair, then we trust her."

Ladybug considered it, glancing over at the green eyed girl. If she brought us there and still betrayed us later, Ladybug would know where the castle was. We wouldn't be totally stranded. Also, if she brought us to the castle and tried to kill us, we outnumbered her.

"Okay, that makes some sense. Not a lot, but some."

So off we went.

MLBMLBMLB

A liar, a prince, and a cursed girl. An incredibly odd trio, All with one motive.

Life amazes me sometimes.

Lila lead us into the woods. She didn't talk much. Her mind had one goal; to get us to trust her. She followed that goal as if her world would end if she didn't reach it, and something probably as drastic would happen if she actually didn't.

Ladybug followed behind Lila, her eyes suspicious and distrusting. She kept glancing back at me, as if trying to get my opinion. I just shrugged and tried not to look too worried. Under my facade, I was conjuring a list of ways the plan could end up going wrong. The list was too long for my liking.

Lila held out her hand to stop us. She crept forward towards a wall of ivy and pushed a few of the dangling strings pf leaves aside. She motioned for us to go forwards and passed through the ivy. Ladybug let out a whisper of a gasp. I was too busy thinking about the coincidence of it all. I had walked by this spot thousands of times. Heck, it was Marinette's meeting point with Alya! How could we have missed it? Was Hawkmoth's lair really under our noses the entire time?

I followed Ladybug through the wall of leaves. Yup, same stream, same river bank, but the trees on the other side shimmered. The image of the nearby forest burned away, revealing... A giant castle.

"Woah," I muttered and Ladybug nodded, her beautiful eyes wide with shock.

"It's not a stream... It's a moat." She shook her head in disbelief. "But I've been here thousands of times. How am I only seeing this now?"

"You can only see it if someone lets you in on the secret. If nobody told you where the castle was, you would walk right past it." Lila explained and then smiled. "My work, by the way."

I spluttered.

"You cloaked it?!"

"Mistress of Illusions, Kitty." She smirked and retreated through the leaves once more. We followed.

"I can convince the guards to take the night off." She continued, "but we have to do it soon. Hawkmoth already suspects that someone is planning to betray him. He asked me to scope it out, and I've brought his attention to a few false suspects in particular. It won't last for long, though."

Another extended silence before I decided to make a stupid suggestion.

"We do it tonight."

* **Yay! Sorry it's short, but there wasn't really much to say.***


	27. Chapter 27

We crouched in the darkness. Nino stood facing sideways beside a great oak tree with towering leaves, while Queen Bee and Chat Noir bent down behind a bush of thorns. I had climbed onto a sycamore tree with ease and was currently using the branches to shroud myself. It felt so reckless to be doing something so dangerous without the aid of my Ladybug mask and I could not help but feel pangs of guilt when I glanced Chat Noir looking so lonely and disappointed. If only I could tell him, but it would put him under more threat than he already was.

I clutched my preferred weapon of choice in my hand; A yo-yo. It caused three eye brows raising in unison when my party saw it, but it made me feel safer. I mean, O had managed to tackle Adrien's bodyguard with a skipping rope. How was a yo-yo so different? Chat Noir only possessed the power of destruction in his hands to defend himself, funny enough I wasn't too worried about him. Queen Bee had her lassos of light, something I still hadn't gotten over, and Nino brandished a mighty stick. I figured that I should probably protect him a little more than the others.

I wanted to jump down, run into the castle and punch Hawkmoth in the face. Every muscle in my body was tense. A massive adrenaline rush pumped through every ounce of being I had, making my head turn at every snapped twig and rustling leaf. Chat must have sensed my distress.

"Wait for the signal, Princess."

If the circumstances were different, he would have gotten a lovely punch in the face.

Suddenly, the castle turned from gray to bright pink.

"Is that..." Nino trailed off in disbelief.

"It's the signal!" I laughed quietly. "She said it would be an illusion that we wouldn't have seen before."

Chat nodded.

"Alright team, let's move out."

We became shadows. We glided along the landscape silently, like birds circling their prey. We reached the stream- No, the moat. Our childhood place was a lie. I slumped.

"What's wrong?" Chat Noir murmured and I suddenly felt like he didn't hate Marinette. Maybe we were friends.

"Alya and I came here a lot when we were younger." I sighed. "I never thought it could be hiding a castle."

He reached out as if to touch my shoulder, but as soon as his fingers brushed off my jacket he pulled away. I looked into his eyes. His familiar green eyes which I trusted. He was always there for me, even as Marinette. For a second, it felt like we were alone and that nothing mattered. Everything else was a blur.

"Come on!" Queen Bee snapped. "We don't have all night!"

Our gazes dropped.

"How do we get across the moat?" Nino asked and I scanned our surroundings. There was no draw bridge or a rope which we could climb across.

I groaned.

"We have to swim."

The others sighed in unison and unlaced their shoes. I reached the churning gray water first and nearly jumped away from its icy touch. I gritted my teeth and, with my shoes in my hand and my dress skirt soaked, began to wade across. Every time something brushed off of my leg I squealed, fearing that it would be some kind of poisonous snake or man-eating turtle, but it was just a regular moat. Coming from someone who cursed a girl to sleep for the rest of her life, this was mildly disappointing yet extremely relieving.

I clambered onto the opposite river bank and donned my shoes as I followed my team's progress. Queenie emerged from the water, followed by Chat and finally Nino. None of us uttered a word. We were so close, we couldn't risk a stray word alerting Hawkmoth of our presence. Inside, I was screaming. Alya was going to be saved. We were going to save her!

Chat gestured for us to follow him. I clutched my yo-yo tighter than ever and did as he asked. We stood at the great oak doors and looked up at it expectantly. There was a silence, but then the doors creaked open.

"Come in!" Lila, dressed in her Volpina get up, hissed. I pretended to act shocked about who was behind the door, as Chat refused to reveal her identity. Nino did a double take and Queenie's mouth fell open a little.

"What are you looking at?" She demanded and we entered without reluctance.

"This way." She whispers commanded and we trailed after her. We went through a hall, down a winding staircase and stopped. Why did we stop? Because there were two guards standing beside the iron bars of the cell.

"I thought you said you would handle the guards!" Chat whispered and Lila scowled.

"I thought I did. No matter. I'll deal with them."

She raised her staff, which I only noticed she had been carrying now, and a ball of light ignited at the end of it. She flicked her wrist and the orb flew towards the guards. It faded and they were somehow surrounded by tens of thousands of scorpions. Nino grabbed my arm; he was afraid of insects. And it appeared that the guards were too. The fled so fast that they didn't even glance at us. Lila smirked and waved her hand, reducing the illusion to a cloud of orange dust.

The bars seemed so far away. Every step I took towards them felt like the length of the world. But I reached them.

"Alya?" I called out and a pale, thin figure emerged from the shadows of the cell. Her eyes were bloodshot and her limbs were like sticks. This couldn't be Alya... she was s full of life. This girl seemed as close to death as any living person could.

"Mari?" She croaked and I knew it was her. Tears started to stream down my face. Nino came to my side and reached his hand through a gap in the bars, and Alya clutched it desperately. Lila produced a key, unlocked the cage which my best friend had been held in and finally there was nothing holding me back. I rushed forwards and hugged the girl who I had grown up with. I hugged the girl who I had seen flourish. I hugged my best friend for the first time in months.

"I am so sorry," I muttered in her ear. "This is all my fault."

"No... No... It wasn't your-"

"We need to go." Intersected Lila and we pulled apart. Nino clutched Alya's hand and dragged her back up the stairs. She followed in a daze as if she were a limp rag doll. I shared a concerned glance with Chat and jogged after them.

Back up the stairs, down the hall. We saved her! We did it!

Or so I thought.

Because Nino and Alya ran into a tall, looming man instead of through the doors. Our cheerful aura of victory faded. Hawkmoth had caught us.

"Well, well." He gloated. "Look what we have here."

Nino hoisted his stick. Chat summoned his Cataclysm. I readied my yo-yo. Queenie did nothing. She stood there with an expression of emptiness. I wanted to ask her what she was doing. Why was she being useless? But Hawkmoth struck first. With the staff he was holding, he jabbed at Nino, hitting him right in the stomach and making my friend topple to the floor. Hawkmoth grabbed Alya's forearm with his free hand. She screamed.

"Marinette! Nino! Help!"

I let my yo-yo fly at him. He ducked easily and pointed his staff at Alya. The tip glowed and a purple coil sprouted from it, tangling itself around Alya's legs and hands. She fell and thrashed around violently on the stone floor, but it did nothing.

"Alya!" I cried out and swung me yo-yo at him once more, but this time I aimed for his staff. The string wound itself around the stick. I pulled back and the staff flew out of his hands and straight into mine. I thought he would be shocked. I thought he might retreat. Instead, he laughed coldly. He raised his gloved hand and suddenly I couldn't move. Only my eyes could dart around the room, trying to see if any of my peers retained the ability of movement. But they all looked just as shocked as me.

"You know, when I heard it was Volpina of all people to betray me, I was shocked. I raised you, Lila! And this is how you forgive me?"

Lila's eyes burned with rage. They continued to burn, even as Hawkmoth shot a bolt of dark energy at her. They probably still burned just before she crumpled to the floor, dead. Then they were empty.

Hawkmoth released us from the spell, probably just to see how we would react. Chat looked at Lila in horror. Queen Bee bent down beside the corpse, checking for a pulse. Nino arose from the floor and raised his stick, but Hawkmoth flicked his fingers and it was banished from his grip. Another flick and Nino was on the floor once more.

Hawkmoth stretched in a way to show that he wasn't bothered by Nino at all. He strolled over to me and I backed away but hit a wall.

"Miss Dupain-Cheng, your earrings."

"No Mari! Don't do it!"

I scowled.

"Never. You'll have to take them off my unconscious form."

He smirked and somehow his staff appeared in his hand once more.

"I don't believe I'll have to wait that long."

The tip glowed. I gulped, ready to accept my defeat when an idea sparked in my head. Would it work? Probably not, but it was my best shot.

I threw my yo-yo in the air.

"LUCKY CHARM!"

A blinding pink light. 5 pairs of eyes staring at me in shock as a bag of marbles fell from... well, I had conjured them myself. Now I was exhausted.

"Marinette... how did you do that?" Chat Noir asked, but I was trying to work out how a bag of marbles could help me. The light in Hawkmoth's staff faded, so I took my chance. I kicked his shin and he toppled to the ground, then I poured the marbles on the ground. He cursed and attempted to right himself, but he kept tripping over them.

I pulled Nino up and was about to untie Alya when she disappeared in a puff of smoke, along with Hawkmoth.

"They're... gone." Chat said in disbelief and I screamed.

"No! They can't be!"

Queen Bee clenched her fists.

"Volpina died for nothing."

I made my way over to Lila's corpse, tears streaming down my face. Her face was pale and empty.

We couldn't save Alya. We couldn't save Lila.

There was no way we could save our city from Hawkmoth.

MLBMLBMLB

Queen Bee stayed by Lila's side as the others left. They told her to leave, but she was waiting. She had done her job well. When the trio disappeared, she laughed at the dead girl's foolishness. Betray Hawkmoth? Ha!

Chloè waited a long time until Hawkmoth returned with the other girl. Her classmate with a rash and impulsive attitude. She felt nothing towards her suffering. Alya struggled in Hawkmoth's arms, so he dropped her to the floor. She crumpled, unconscious.

"You idiot!" He yelled at her. "I could have lost everything! Your warning was useless!"

"I was only told about it today. And I informed you of my suspicions of Volpina." She retorted, glancing down at the corpse.

"Besides, now we have this." She reached into her pocket and showed her master what was in her palm.

The fox-tailed necklace. The akumatized object. It was infused with Hawkmoth's magic and Lila's tragic past. It hummed with dark power. But Chloè saw it could be stronger.

"I think it's time our dear Alya got to play for the winning side."

 **IMPORTANT: I AM PUTTING THIS STORY ON HOLD UNTIL I RETURN FROM THE STATES IN 3 WEEKS. I NEED TO SPEND TIME WITH MY FAMILY. THANK YOU**


	28. Chapter 28

***Sorry sorry sorry! I think I broke the uploader. Hopefully this chapter uploads fine. Again, sorry!**

I knew exactly three things about that night.

Number 1: We failed. Alya was still a prisoner of Hawkmoth, and Hawkmoth was still around to fight another day.

Number 2: Lila was dead. She risked everything she had to try and bring an end to Hawkmoth's reign of terror, but she will never get to see it.

Number 3: Somehow, in some way, Marinette had saved us. By casting a spell which

Ladybug had talked about for weeks.

Marinette had powers, and I thought Ladybug and I were the only ones.

I thought wrong.

We had each returned to our respective homes. Marinette walked back, crying, to her home. She was crying because she lost her friend. She lost what may be her only chance to break the curse. Nino fumbled home in silence. He had seen the girl he loved just out of grasp. Queen Bee walked home in a daze, but I didn't know what was going on inside her head. Me, I ran back to the empty castle, somewhere which would never be my home, in utter confusion.

"She cast a spell, Plagg! Not just anyone can do that!" I told my kwami when I arrived back. He sighed.

"Who did? Anya?"

" _Alya._ And no. Marinette."

"Oh, Marielle." **(A/N: I'm running out of ways to misspell 'Marinette')**

"I literally just said her name!" I groaned. "Now, how could she have magic?"

Plagg took a bite of the cheese I had brought him and chewed slowly, just to annoy me. He let out an exaggerated gulp and stated quite plainly:

"She's Ladybug."

My heart jumped a little. Marinette? Ladybug? Really? I laughed at myself inside my head for even considering the notion. Sure, they had the same hair and eye color, I had never seen them in the same place, and it would explain the magic, but they were so different! Marinette was sweet and shy, while Ladybug was merciless and sassy. Polar opposites.

"No," I sighed. "She's not."

"Well, I don't know then."

"You're useless."

"I am aware of the fact."

I sighed once more before crashing onto my mattress. The world turned black the second my head hit the pillow.

But the blackness only lasted for a few moments. A dream formed itself in my mind, but so vivid I could have sworn I was actually standing in a throne room in front of a towering figure shrouded in darkness.

"Hawkmoth," I called out; the name causing my very being to course with adrenaline. How was I there? And how on earth could I get out as soon as possible?

"Ah, Chat Noir," The voice said lazily. "My newest... menace."

I summoned all of my courage and Chat Noir swagger.

"Menace, huh? Man, I just thought I was an inconvenience. I'm honored you think so highly of me."

He laughed, an actual laugh with humour. He was... amused. And that scared me even more.

Because he was capable of feeling emotions. He was _human_. Not some monster. He ate. He slept. He breathed. He was alive. How could a human do so much harm? How could a being be so evil? What had happened to him?

"Chat Noir, you're entertaining. I'll give you that."

"I'm assuming you didn't bring me here for me to tell you jokes."

"No, I didn't. The thing is, I have no clue who you are. Your magic protects you from prying eyes, like mine. Even in dream form, I cannot see you without your mask. Ladybug's not as lucky. But I do have some leverage over you. Ladybug being one of them."

"I won't do anything for you, you foul piece of-"

"Language." He scolded. "Well, do you want me to tell the world who Ladybug is? Destroy her only chance to do what she loves? Her parents forbid her from sewing, for good reason. Do you want to be the one to take that from her?"

I stayed silent. He would not convince me. He was telling lies. He was trying to persuade me. He would fail.

"I can see you're not interested but I have something else to offer. The girl, Marinette."

"What about Marinette?" I snapped. If he threatened her... Ladybug could take care of herself. Marinette may have magic, but I didn't know how skilled she was. If she got hurt...

"She's cursed. When she-"

"Turns 17 she'll prick her finger and fall into an endless sleep. I know."

He looked taken aback, but he swiftly regained his posture.

"Well, I'll remove her curse. If you give me her earrings."

Her earrings? She wore earrings?

"Why can't you just take them yourself?"

"The earrings of luck are... tricky. You cannot forcibly take them. If the possessor dies before she can pass them on, the earrings loose their power. Similar to your ring, which I also want you to give me. That's why my curse is so specific. I've given her until age 17 to surrender them, or else she'll fall into a deep sleep. Then, I'll still have a chance to take them if she remains stubborn."

"So, you want me to get Marinette to give me her earrings? Not a chance."

He shrugged.

"Then Marinette's curse will never be broken. She will fall asleep, and one day I will take them from her."

"She will not fall asleep. We will defeat you before that."

He laughed once more and I awoke in a cold sweat.

I changed back into my chat noir outfit and opened the window, rope from under my bed clutched in my hand.

I was going to talk to Marinette; she had a lot of explaining to do.

I glanced back at Plagg, who was sleeping soundly. His words came back to me.

 _She's Ladybug._

I considered it again.

Nah, she can't be.

 ***Nope. No chance at all.**

 **Guys, thanks for being okay with my 3 week long break! I had a great time with my family, even though majority of my cousins are under 10 and annoying. Though, some of the older ones are just as bad. I also started watching 3 separate TV shows and I love Voltron! It's my 3** **rd** **favorite show after Miraculous and Merlin.**

 **Also, sorry about the cliff hanger last chapter. Actually no, never mind. That was fun.**

 **Please leave suggestions of names that sound like Marinette for Plagg to say, thanks.**

 **IF YOU ARE THE PERSON ASKING ME TO MAKE MARINETTE FALL ASLEEP, YOU GET AN EXTRA NOTE:**

 **Please stop. It's incredibly irritating. I know you're just reviewing and you are trying to get me back on track with the whole "sleeping beauty" part of the AU, but this story has a mind of it's own. I can't just skip to the part where Mari falls asleep. I have to get through Queen Bee and akumatized Alya first. I can't just roll the credits half way through. If you're offended, I'm sorry. I'm also sorry I have to publicly call you out for this, but you are listed as a guest so I can't PM you. I appreciate you reading and taking the time to review, but please can you not continue to beg me to speed up the story? It's putting a lot of pressure on me. Don't worry, I'll get there. Thank you.**

 **~Pancake. ***


	29. Chapter 29

"I used magic, Tikki! Only Ladybug is supposed to be able to do that! Oh, how am I going to get myself out of this one?"

We were out on my balcony. Tikki perched on the rail as I leant against it, a cookie in her paws. Her little red mittens of hands seemed too tiny against the baked treat. Sometimes I wonder how she manages to eat so many in a day.

"Relax, Marinette." She said in a forced cheerful tone. "You should be proud of yourself! Lucky charm is extremely difficult to perform."

"I would be proud of myself if I did it as Ladybug!"

"So? You can trust them."

I snorted.

"Tikki, Marinette is nothing compared to Ladybug."

"That's not true!"

"Yes, it is. Marinette is ordinary. She's supposed to be ordinary. I need her to be nothing. It's the only scrap of normalcy I have left."

"Oh, Mari..."

"That's not all." I continued. "Every time someone finds out, something terrible happens. Alya? Kidnapped. Nathaniel? Dead. Imagine if that happened to Chat! Or Nino or Queenie! How could I live with myself knowing I hurt them?"

There was a silence; A silence filled with my inner screams. Why was everything so damn hard? My eyes welled with tears that quickly slipped down my cheeks, my chin and onto my shirt. This stupid rebellion cost us lives! Good, innocent people ceased to breathe. Nathaniel and Lila! They were gone. They were never coming back. And Alya was as good as dead. It was all my fault. If I hadn't decided to fight then they would still be with me.

"Marinette!"

My thoughts silenced. Did someone-

"Marinette!"

The voice was coming from below. I peered down from the balcony to see a leather clad cat standing on the sidewalk.

"Chat Noir?" I called down, my heart racing. This was it. He knew I was Ladybug.

"Can I come up?" He asked.

"Er, ok? But how are you-"

He leapt up higher than physically possible and landed on the bar. I screamed.

"How did you do that?"

"Magic!" he smirked and hopped down from the railing.

"Which is what you're here to talk about, right?"

"Correct."

Tikki left us. Chat fidgeted. I stared at my feet.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I should have-"

"Princess, you don't have to be sorry. I know this whole magic thing is new to you."

New to me? But I'd discovered my powers months ago. He knew that.

"Ladybug and I are here for you. We can teach you some basic spells and such."

Ladybug and I.

Ladybug and I.

Ladybug and I.

He doesn't know.

He is an idiot.

I was stuck with the world's most oblivious person for a partner. Excellent.

"That would be nice." I squeaked out with relief.

"Erm, I also know about your curse."

"What?!" I exclaimed. "How? Who told-"

Oh my gosh.

"That rotten little-" I muttered, then looked him in the eye.

"Adrien?"

"Er, yes. Him."

I felt a twinge of annoyance. I trusted Adrien and he just up and told Chat Noir, someone who he didn't know I was willing to trust! I mean, what if he told Chloè? Oh gosh, that would be a nightmare. She would probably throw a party.

"When I see him, I am going to wring his neck," I growled and Chat looked sad.

"He said that you haven't really been near him recently."

"Because I've been worried he's going to keep talking about it." I snapped. "Yeah, I'm cursed. Yeah, I didn't want people to know. So what? Am I supposed to talk about my feelings? How's that going to help, huh? It'll just be awkward! Especially since-"

I caught myself. What I was about to say was embarrassing and Chat would laugh at me. Oh gosh, I nearly told him about my crush on Adrien and how I was trying so hard to get over him.

"Especially since..." he prompted. I waved my hand, trying to wave away the subject.

"Nevermind. And I don't really want to talk about my curse right now."

"Princess, I really need to talk about it right now. Hawkmoth sent me a vision."

My eyes widened.

"What did he say?" My voice changed from an angry rant to a hushed whisper. The annoyance and rage which I had felt morphed into fear.

"He wanted me to take your earrings."

My hands reached for the studs in my ears.

"You can't have them."

"I know. That's how you get your powers, right?"

I nodded.

"It's the same with my ring." He waved his hand in the air. I had noticed his ring before, and I never really thought much of it. I had never gotten a close look. But it seemed familiar. I'd seen it somewhere before...

He kept talking.

"Ladybug probably has something like it, I'm not sure."

I wanted to call him an Idiot. Instead, I restrained myself.

"Oh," I said. "Look Chat, it's late. We had a rough night, I should probably get some sleep."

His eyes widened, possibly only realising the darkness around us that moment.

"Course, Princess." He cursed. "Sorry, I forgot you don't like it when I call you that."

"No, It's fine." Through all the swirling emotions, I managed a smile. "It's sort of grown on me."

He jumped off the balcony, I disappeared into my room.

That night, I dreamt of a memory. Actually,only part of a memory, I felt there was more, but I couldn't remember the rest. There was a silver ring, with a paw imprinted on it, in between the pavement stones. I was kneeling on the ground. I picked it up. That was it.

I had seen the ring before. Just where, and how, was the question.

MLBMLBMLB

"No!" Alya Cèsaire screamed. "I won't help you! I won't!"

The past few months had been the worst of her life. She was thrown in a cell, given only the smallest portions of food. Her clothes were filthy. She could probably name at least a hundred different ailments she was suffering from. But the worst part was the interrogations. Akumas barged into her cell and demanded to know about her best friend, Marinette. What were her weaknesses? Her loved ones? Alya refused to talk, so they hurt her. Lashes, beatings, magic. All of these were used to try and get her to open up.

Then Marinette came to her aid. She was so close to being free, but was snatched away again and brought here, to this cave. She pressed against the damp wall, trying to get away from the shadowed man. The cave's darkness forbade her from seeing his face, but she knew it was Hawkmoth. Another figure stood beside him, this one a female. Something about her felt familiar, but Alya didn't know what.

"Come on, Alya! You could be powerful. You wouldn't feel the hurt and the pain!" The girl said. Her voice sneered. She had the air of a snob. An oh so familiar snob.

"Chloè?" Alya gasped.

Alya could feel the smirk in her tone.

"Clever one, aren't you?"

Alya didn't know why the betrayal hurt her so much. Chloè was the only person she knew who would do this. But she did feel betrayed. She thought that, deep down, there was good in Chloè.

The man stepped forward.

"Enough chit chat, girls. Alya, just stop fighting. It will all be over if you just give in."

The necklace around Alya's neck felt hot and heavy. She could sense the dark magic in it, trying to take control, but it couldn't. Not without her permission.

"No! You won't turn me into one of them!" She cried out, but her resolve was weakening. She just wanted it to be over. She wanted to end it all. Maybe if she let it in, everything could be better.

The charm took the moment of acceptance. It spread, making Alya let go of herself. Every ounce of her was filled with evil power. Every bad thought she had ever had was magnified.

The new Volpina arose.

 ***I realise that my death toll is already at 3. I'm not sorry.**

 **Anyways, I'm back to school next week, but hopefully, that won't conflict with my next update. Have a good one!**

 **~Pancake ***


	30. Chapter 30

I looked down at our pitiful display of a stall. There were a few garments, a fistful of bracelets and two clay pots. Even though my handmade bracelets didn't sell, I still felt duty bound to make them. However, this week was different. Our team was exhausted.

Ladybug was nodding off behind the stall. Queen Bee had dark circles around her eyes. I kept pinching myself to stop myself from passing out on the spot.

"LB!" Queenie nudged my spotted partner when she had closed her eyes.

"Sorry," She muttered, her eyelids reluctantly opening to reveal those beautiful bluebell eyes. "I didn't sleep last night."

"Neither did I," I admitted. "I was trying to think of a place where he could have hidden Alya."

Our unsuccessful rescue attempt had taken place only a few days previously, but it felt like it was only a few moments ago. The regret and disappointment was still fresh in our minds. The guilt was still overwhelming our lungs, drowning us. It was as if the weight of the world was not lying on our shoulders but crushing us, destroying every last scrap of morale and optimism.

"What if-" Queen Bee said hesitantly only to be interrupted by Ladybug.

"Don't say it."

"Guys, we have to at least consider the possibility that she's... dead."

"No! She's not!" Ladybug exclaimed without warning. She slammed her hand on the table, knocking one of our two clay pots off the table. It smashed against the ground and shattered into brightly painted fragments and shards. The customer who was making his way over to our stall stopped suddenly and backed away. I attempted an apologetic glance before turning back towards Ladybug and Queen Bee.

"We don't know that Queenie," I said. Ladybug took a deep breath and went to pick up the broken pieces of pottery. But I knew it wasn't over.

"Why do you even care?" Queen Bee said patronizingly. "None of us knew her. Heck, Ladybug! You never even tried to save her! You did nothing as we worked out behinds off, trying to form a plan to rescue this girl!"

Ladybug opened her mouth and closed it again. Her eyes showed hurt in every form. My heart swelled with rage.

"Ladybug was trying to protect us!" I countered. "She knew that Hawkmoth was watching her!"

"Oh really? And how, exactly, does she know?"

I tried to think of a retort, but I couldn't.

"You all seem so depressed, but think of how poor Nino and Marinette must feel." She continued. "You can't miss her. You don't feel grief, you feel failure."

I shrank back, knowing that if I wanted to win the argument I would have to reveal myself. Ladybug stood up from the ground, pottery forgotten. A storm of emotions danced across her face, ranging from anger to fear to sadness. The flickered on her face and morphed together, forming this look in her eyes which was a cross between fury and desperation.

"How dare you!" She growled. "You can't say-"

She was cut off by the medley of screams and explosions.

"Volpina!" Someone shrieked. "It's Volpina!"

"That's not possible," I said loudly over the wails. "She died! We saw her!"

"I know!" Ladybug said frantically. "But how can-"

There was another boom. A stall across the market blew up in a burst of flames. We were the only ones left in the market, other than a lone figure standing in the middle. She wore an orange dress that covered her feet and dragged on the ground. The neck of the dress stretched across her shoulders, but the sleeves flowed down to her wrists. The garment was detailed with white lace swirls at the collar. I could see Ladybug analyzing it amidst the terror. There were two matching orange fox ears sticking out from the brown hair, brown hair that was not Lila's. Who was it though? A mask shrouded covered the space around her green-yellow eyes. Eyes that glowed with power. Her hands clutched a flute.

"It's not Lila," I said in disbelief. "He replaced her."

"Wow, genius." Queenie snarked.

I ignored her.

"Who are you?" I called out as brave as I could manage.

The figure grew closer and closer. I could make out her evil smirk.

"Who are you?" I repeated louder. I summoned my cataclysm as discretely as I could. Queen Bee tensed. Ladybug curled her fists.

The not-Lila raised her flute to her lips.

My eyes widened. I knew how Volpina's powers worked.

"Get down!" I yelled and knocked Ladybug to the ground. I expected another explosion. Instead, Ladybug and Queen Bee disappeared.

"Not so strong on your own, are we?" She teased.

My blood roared.

"Where are they?" I screamed. "What did you do to them?!"

Her smirk widened.

"Oh, nothing."

I lunged for her, destruction pulsing in my hand. She dodged easily and I hit a nearby cane stall. The wood crumbled into dust. I cursed. It would take time for me to regain my power.

"Bad Cat." She chuckled at her terrible joke.

"Who are you?" I demanded again.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

I picked up a surviving cane from the ash and took a swing at her. I panted.

"But satisfaction brought it back!" I said cockily. Her flute met my cane mid air. There was a moment where everything slowed down. I saw her necklace. It was what Lila showed us to prove she was Volpina. Her akumatized object. I reached out to snatch it, but as soon as my gloved hand came into contact with her she disappeared in a puff of orange smoke.

I stumbled forward and landed, disorientated, on the ground.

"An illusion," I said, followed by a string of curse words. Ladybug and Queenie had reappeared, each fighting their own illusion of the villain and oblivious to the fact they weren't actually alone.

"Bring them back!" Ladybug roared. Her hand caught fire and she lobbed the flaming ball at her opponent. It hit her, square in the chest and the fake image dissolved.

"What?" Ladybug looked around. Her face lit up. "Chat! Queenie!"

"LB!" I called out. "They're illusions! They aren't real!"

I stood and threw my cane at the apparition Queen Bee was in an intense battle with. It too vanished in a puff of smoke.

Ladybug and I rushed over to her.

"That wasn't the real thing," I explained. "Volpina's powers have always been lies and illusions. We just fell for one."

"I'm confused..." Queenie rubbed her head. "So I wasn't actually fighting Volpina?"

"No. Her illusion also made us think we were fighting alone when we were standing right next to each other."

"So where's the real one?" Ladybug asked.

"Probably on top of that building over there," Queenie replied nonchalantly.

"What?"

"Look!" She pointed towards 'that building over there', where the actual Volpina was looming over us. The building wasn't incredibly tall, so I could just about make out her expression of annoyance change to smugness.

"I am the new Volpina! Mistress of Lies! Creator of Deception! Paris, fear me!"

Her voice sounded so familiar, but I couldn't tell how. It reminded me of...

Sitting at the lunch table, that voice laughing.

A pencil being prodded into my back during maths class.

Sitting in the Cesaire's diner.

"Oh my gosh," I muttered. The blood pooled in my feet.

"What's wrong?" Ladybug asked, scowling in concern. "You've gone pale."

My heart thudded.

"It's Alya," I said. "Alya's the new Volpina."

 **WOO! School! Homework! Stress!**

 **I'm back to my education as of today, it's still not fun. I did escape the clutches of my most hated teacher, which is brilliant. I finished Voltron, by the way. I need season 4 ASAP!**

 **Hope you liked the chapter!**

 **~Pancake**


	31. Chapter 31

_Alya crashed through my bedroom door, interrupting my sketching with a scream. Fifteen_ year _old me looked up, startled._

 _"Nino kissed me!" She shrieked, followed by a delighted sound of excitement passing from my lips. I jumped up and started bouncing around the room with her. She rushed over to my pillow and hugged it close to her chest. We calmed ourselves. Well, sort of. Alya had been crushing on Nino for years. She talked non-stop about him. At the time, I couldn't imagine myself ever being as in love with some one as Alya was with our musical classmate._

 _Neither of us knew how it began. Neither of us could remember her first blush or her first time saying how cute he was. Just that one autumn's day she looked up from her homework to meet me dead in the eye._

 _"I think I like Nino," she had said. I had sighed because I knew. It was so blatantly obvious. How nervous she got when he was around, the way she turned scarlet when he_ complimented _her._

 _"Spill!" I demanded once we had fully settled down. Her dark skin flushed and she couldn't stop the smile from creeping onto her face._

 _"We were just messing around," she began. "He told this joke and I couldn't stop laughing, then when I did he was staring at me. I asked him what was wrong, and he just grabbed my face and kissed me!" She squealed, recounting the moment. Tikki and Trix giggled at her_ excitement _._

 _"I told you he felt the same!" Trix, her orange fox-kwami said knowingly. "But you didn't listen!"_

 _"Shut up, Trixy." Alya laughed, using her pet name for her kwami._

 _I laughed too. It was good to see her so excited._

 _"So what happened after?" I urged her._

 _"Well, it only lasted, like, a few seconds. Then he ran away and I just..."_

 _"_ Stared _dumbfounded after him?"_

 _"Exactly."_

 _There was a knock at the door._

 _"Girls, can you quieten down a little?"_

 _"Sorry Maman," I said._

 _"It's okay, sweetie."_

 _My mother's footsteps faded out of hearing, and we giggled quietly again._

I blinked away the memory. Tears threatened to spill out of my eyes. That was back when everything was so simple. Before Alya was captured, before I had discovered my powers, before I had learned my destiny. Things were so easy back then. Our biggest dilemmas were crushes and homework. Our greatest enemy was Chloè.

Not curses and kidnappings. Not evil sorcerers.

How much did I want to return to being my carefree 15-year-old self? More than you can imagine. I yearned for those nights sewing my the candle-light and those days by the stream with Alya. I wanted my life back, but it was beyond reach. Hawkmoth was holding it firmly in his grasp, and its name was Alya.

"LB?" Chat said worriedly. "You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine," I replied, waving away his concern.

At that moment, Nino crashed through the door, Queenie following behind him. The bell above the entrance to the café rang violently as if it was being tortured. Was that how Alya had succumbed to the darkness of the akuma? She was tortured into doing so?

"We couldn't find Mari anywhere," Nino explained at Chat's confused face. For a moment I wanted to say that I was right there until I realized I was wearing my mask.

"We'll start without her then," I said a little too quickly.

"Right," Chat said. "Nino, this is Ladybug. Ladybug, Nino."

Nino's gaze fixed upon me. His eyes lingered too long for him not to suspect anything.

 _Oh gosh,_ I thought. _He recognizes me._

But he didn't say anything. He held a hand up in greeting and smiled weakly.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Nino pulled up a chair to our already crowded table and sat down. Queenie stood behind me. Alya's family sat with us, all three of her sisters, her brother and her mother and father.

"What's happened?" Mrs. Cèsaire asked hurriedly. "What's happened to my little girl?"

Chat, Queen Bee and I looked at each other and silently begged each other to ask, to spare themselves the guilt of being the one to tell this poor, aching mother that her daughter had been forced onto the other side of the war. They looked to me. The green eyes and the blue pleading with me to take charge.

"Alya has been akumatized," I choked out.

The reaction of the family was devastating. Her mother wailed. Her father held his hand up to his forehead as if he had a headache, and his eyes filled up with tears. Alya's older brother, Caleb, swore rapidly, saying what he would do if he ever got his hands on Hawkmoth. Alya's eight-year-old sister Mia, the eldest after Alya, cried. The two twin girls sat dumbfounded, not understanding the situation.

"Is Alya coming back?" One of the twins asked with a lisp. She had her mouth open a little, revealing a missing tooth. This was Andrea, identical to her sister Liz. Shy, sweet, clueless Andrea. She had asked the question which everyone else had been afraid to ask, scared of what the answer would be.

"I don't know," I replied.

Nino had his fists clenched on the table.

"I don't understand," he said. "How could she have been akumatized? She's not evil?"

"Doesn't matter," Queenie cut in over me. "Hawkmoth's powers latch onto two things; willing souls and negative emotions. He obviously prefers to have willing people, seeing as he doesn't have to control them. But he can akumatize anyone who feels really bad, like Alya. He can make them do his bidding."

"How do you know this?" I asked. Queenie shrugged.

"I did some research too, you know."

"So Alya's gone?" Nino interrupted. "We can't get her back?"

"It's-" Queenie looked sad. "It's not likely, Nino."

Nino shook his head.

"No, no we have to. She's still alive, so there's hope, right?"

There was a pause.

"Right?"

"We'll do whatever it takes, Nino," Chat said reassuringly.

I nodded.

"We'll bring her back, whatever it takes."

We disbanded. Chat and Queenie went home, the little ones were ushered to bed. I was helping to put back the chairs when Alya's mother returned from upstairs.

"Ladybug, would you stay a moment please?"

I hesitated then smiled.

"Erm, okay."

I did a head count of the room. Mrs. Cèsaire, Caleb, Nino and I. I stood awkwardly there as Mrs. C took off her apron and hung it on the kitchen door. She smiled at me, the smile which she reserved only for her children, but it was sad. Her eyes glistened with tears.

"Marinette," she said.

One word. That's all it took for me to break down. Tears I had been holding finally poured down my cheeks silently. They dripped onto my shirt.

"How long have you known?" I asked.

"Ever since you first walked through the door in that mask."

I turned to Nino and Caleb.

"And you?"

Nino shrugged.

"Five minutes ago, when we first met Ladybug."

Caleb smiled sadly. He looked like a male version of Alya and acted like one too. We grew up together. He was like a brother to me, one of my closest friends. Alya, Caleb and I played together when we were younger, and when we were older he told us the most amazing tales of dragons and magic. Then, when he was sixteen, he blocked himself off from us. Now, he had reappeared, age 18.

"Mari, I've known you since you were a baby. You thought I wouldn't recognize you?"

"Well, I haven't really seen you for awhile," I said cooly and, removing my mask, I turned to Mrs. Cèsaire.

"Maman and Papa cannot know about this. They'd freak out. Neither can Chat or Queenie."

She looked conflicted, then calm.

"Of course."

I turned back to the boys.

"Nino? Caleb?"

"My lips are sealed," said Caleb.

Nino's eyes didn't show betrayal, just emptiness.

"Get my girlfriend back."

 **I have so much homework it's not funny. I'm drowning in work. Also, I have so many stories I want to write. I just don't have time.**


	32. Chapter 32

The smell of freshly fallen leaves was in the air.

The trees' leaves colored themselves in hues of reds and oranges and yellows, shifting and blending into each other. Autumn had arrived and with Autumn came school.

I was returning to school.

No more lonely Summer days wandering around the castle. No more hours would I spend sitting at my father's side. I was going back to one of the few places where I could actually be myself. The thought was terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

The chatter of the students surrounded me. They chirped excitedly to each other. Some groaned but I rejoiced. I scanned the crowd for my friends and caught sight of a red cap peeking over the sea of heads.

"Nino!" I called out. My tall friend turned and saw me. He smiled weakly.

I walked over to him.

"How's it going, man?" I asked, then caught myself. "Well, I mean, erm.."

"It's okay," he reassured me. "But life's not the same without Alya around."

"I can't imagine what you're going through."

He didn't say anything for a few seconds. Then he looked up with a determined look on his face.

"It's not like she's gone forever. We'll get her back."

I smiled but the smile quickly faded as a familiar blonde head walked into my line of view.

"Quick!" I hissed. "Chloè!"

Nino looked up in alarm, but it was too late.

"Adrikins!" She squealed. I groaned as Chloè practically ran over to me and grabbed my arm. Nino looked on awkwardly. Pollen moved away from us as if we were contagious.

"Hello Chloè," I said dully, a tone she took for enthusiasm.

"Guess what the amazing Chloè has done!" She was squeezing my arm so hard I was afraid it would fall off.

"What is it?"

"I got the both of us front row seats at Mr. Stone's next performance! Isn't it exciting?"

"Erm, sure."

"It's on Sunday, so-"

"Aw man!" I interrupted in a tone of mock sorrow. "I can't! I have a very important thing on all day Sunday. Sorry, Chlo."

"Can't you cancel it?" She batted her eyes and looked up at me. "For me?"

"No," I said flatly.

I attempted to pry her clawed hands off my arm. I glanced around, looking for some sort of excuse to leave the situation. The reason came in the form of a certain bluenette opening a classroom door.

"Hey Nino, let's go say hi to Mari."

"Sure," he said relieved.

"See you, Chlo."

Nino and I walked off, leaving an annoyed fury of blonde hair in our wake.

"What are you actually doing this Sunday?" Asked Nino.

"Absolutely nothing."

We entered the room Marinette had, partially because she was there and partially because it was our room.

"Hey Mari!" I said cheerfully. She looked up with dark circles under her eyes. Tikki was napping beside her.

"Hi," she replied. She was sketching in a book, probably some sort of design. Her voice sounded empty. Who could blame her? She had lost her best friend. Nino had probably told her about the akumatization.

We were three gloomy, sleep deprived people. We needed a break or at the very least a nap.

Or...

"I have an idea," I said.

"Oh no," Nino replied as I shot him an angry look.

"There's a Jagged Stone performance this Sunday. What if we three went to go see it?"

Marinette looked up again.

"That actually sounds pretty nice."

"I can't," Nino said. "My mom wants us to spend some time together on Sunday, but you guys go. Have fun."

Marinette squirmed uncomfortably. We hadn't talked in so long, just throwing us into a social situation together was the cruelest thing Nino could have said to us. But hey, it was a good way to reconnect.

"You down with that, Mari?"

"Um... okay," She said.

"Then it's settled. I'll get the seats."

MLBMLBMLB

This was the closest thing to a date I had ever been on. But it was only some time alone with one of the girls I had a massive crush on. Ladybug, try as I might to get over her, was still a massive part of my love life. She was present all the time. I dreamt of her laugh. But she was out of my league, I knew that much. Marinette was always there too.

Sometimes I wanted to rip my heart out and give it a serious talking to.

I waited in the shop part of the bakery for Marinette. Her parents were anxious to meet me, the boy who helped her get back from the woods so many months ago. To them I wasn't a prince, I was a person with a good heart. I liked it.

Marinette's mother was small in size but her heart made up for it. She had Marinette's blue-black hair and warm gray eyes. She offered baked goods and chatted to me non-stop. When she learned I spoke Mandarin, her face broke out into the friendliest and warmest smile. She swapped languages for a few minutes and we talked about how I had learned the language until Mr. Dupain Cheng entered the room. We reverted back to French so he could understand. Marinette's father was a large yet kind man, with broad shoulders and height which you couldn't imagine. Compared to Mrs. Dupain Cheng he was a giant.

He was telling me a story about a young Marinette and a rock which somehow ended up stuck up her nose when the girl in question arrived on the stairs.

"Papa! You're embarrassing me!"

I looked up to see Mari in a pink dress, the skirt reaching just below her knees. There was a bow tied at the front. Her hair had been freed for its usual pigtails and brushed off her shoulders. She smiled a little. Tikki sat on her shoulder.

She looked stunning.

I suddenly felt underdressed in my favorite shirt and brown pants. The performance was so ridiculously overpriced that I had to assume it would be best to make an effort. I had even convinced Plagg to take a bath.

"Hey," she waved at me.

I squeaked.

"Hi."

She looked at me a little oddly but didn't say anything.

"You two be good, now."

"Maman!" Marinette hissed indignantly. I laughed.

"C'mon Mari," I said and opened the door for her.

We walked in silence for awhile, trying not to bring up the 'you know what'. She stared at her pink shoes.

"I won't mention it if you don't," I suddenly blurted out. Marinette at me in surprise, her blue eyes wide. The startled expression morphed into a grateful smile.

"Right. Today we are just two, perfectly normal, teens, without kingdoms or curses."

"What kingdom? What curse?"

She laughed, and her laugh was music to my ears.

We arrived at the venue, which was packed with Paris' most rich and famous. Jagged Stone was a legendary musician. Everyone who was anyone pined for spots at his sessions. Luckily, being the prince of Paris has its upsides.

Jagged Stone began playing on the piano in the center of the stage, a set of violins and other stringed instruments supporting him. A Sweet melody filled the air. I heard people's sighs of contentment. Marinette smiled. The next song was painfully sad. Tears filled my eyes as the music told a story. Then he began a lively, up beat tune which people began dancing to.

Marinette tapped her foot to the beat. I glanced around at the people nearby. There were couples dancing together, spinning each other around. We looked so odd just standing there. Then I did something impulsive and rash and I would probably regret it. I grabbed Marinette's hand.

"Come on! Dance!" I said. She smirked and I spun her around a few times. She began laughing again. We jumped around on the dance floor. People looked at us as if we were strange, but it didn't matter whatsoever.

The recital finished an hour later. We were out of breath and sweating as I directed Mari out of the venue. The cool air felt pleasant against my face; the open area helped me to breathe again. People shuffled around us, pooling out of the area like water.

I looked at Marinette. Her face was flushed and full of life. She was the happiest I had seen her since Alya disappeared.

"I had fun," I said lamely. She nodded.

"Me too."

We stood there in silence for a few moments.

"Well, em, I'll see you at school," I finished awkwardly.

"Yeah."

Her eyes were so startlingly blue, like the sky.

No, like bluebells.

Remember when I grabbed her hand and I thought that was rash and impulsive?

I did something even more so.

I bent down and kissed her.

 **This chapter is an apology for all the angst I have put you through recently. I mean, I've killed three people, tortured one and then akumatized the same one, and then made you all sad. You're welcome.**

 **This was going to end with a kiss on the cheek but honestly, I would have made myself mad.**

 **Have a good one guys.**

 **-Pancake.**


	33. Chapter 33

Adrien kissed me.

Adrien kissed me.

Adrien. Kissed. Me.

My lips could still feel his, even if it only lasted a second. Then he ran away.

Did it even count? Yes.

What happened to my 'no Adrien' resolution I made to myself when things first started to get bad? Did I want to bring him into the mess that was my life? My heart said yes. My head said no.

And a great hero always listens to their head.

I was going to be as good as dead in four months. What was the point of starting something if it was destined to die?

Destined. On your 16th birthday, you hear that word and your life is set in stone. There is no negotiating. This is what you will be, they say. Adrien's was to be a great king. Nino's was to be a great musician. Alya's was to be a great hero. Mine was to sleep.

A great hero. Alya had to pull through for her destiny, if not her family or her friends. It's what her fate commanded, and no one can run from their fate. Sure, she was a villain now, but the great scheme of things said otherwise. She was going to save people. We just had to help her.

"Hey, Ladybug!" Nino said, barging into my room.

"Nino!" I screeched. "You can't just call me- WHY ARE YOU IN MY ROOM?!"

"You didn't come to school today," he shrugged. "I'm here as a friend and also a bearer of homework."

I groaned. Nino's turtle kwami, coren, zipped over to Tikki in a blast of green-brown light. They flew around the room together, giggling.

"Well, you're not sick," he continued. "So what's wrong?"

I dug my face into my knees.

"Adrien."

"Ah," he said knowingly. "You like him, don't you?"

I moaned.

"He kissed me, Nino!"

Nino looked a little taken aback, but not shocked.

"Well, took him long enough."

"What?"

"He's crazy about you, Mari! You were, like, the only person who couldn't see it."

I groaned again, marveling at my stupidity.

"I don't see a problem," he said. "You like him, he likes you."

"He's going to be the king!"

"So?"

"So, he can't date some commoner like me!"

"Who cares?"

"Erm, I don't know? What about THE KING?"

He was silent for a second, in which I contemplated telling him everything. My curse, my earrings, Hawkmoth's vendetta against me. The moment passed and I lost my window of opportunity.

"Marinette? Do you think Alya's okay?"

The topic had changed rapidly and the question caught me off guard. I didn't have any protective barriers of lies set up.

"I don't know."

Nino sighed and curled his fist.

"I'm so damn angry at him. Why would he akumatize her of all people? Why not me?"

"Nino, it's because she's close to me. He knows who I am. He knows who my friends are."

Nino's curled fist flew into the wall. The smooth surface didn't crack or even dent.

"I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault. It's his fault. It's Hawkmoth's fault."

I couldn't argue because the feeling of guilt inside of me had no logical argument. My heart and my head weren't on the same page.

"We need to free the akuma," I cut through our thoughts. "But how?"

"She may attack the market this week," he suggested, shaking out his hand. Punching walls tends not to be good for your health.

"I guess we could try to set up an ambush but-"

"Marinette!" Tikki cried out, interrupting my thought. "Look!"

She pointed towards the window and I gasped.

What was floating outside the window wasn't possibly able to be there. It didn't make sense.

"Trixx?" I gasped.

Outside the window was a very beaten down, dirty orange kwami.

I rushed over and unlatched the window, pulling it in towards me.

"Marinette..." she said weakly.

"Trixx! I can't believe it!"

"Where's Alya?" Said Nino immediately after Trixx had eaten and sat down.

"Still with Hawkmoth. Her akumatization is the strongest I've ever seen."

Nino and I looked at each other.

"How did you get away?" I asked.

"When Hawkmoth isn't focusing on keeping Alya under his command, she can be talked out of her akumatization. That's what I did, and she told me to leave. I didn't want to go, but she made me go find you and ask for help."

"You're safe now, Trixx." Coren soothed her.

"But Alya isn't. Volpina's going to attack the market next week. You have to be ready. She can only make one illusion at a time, and she can't stop the illusion. It's all I know."

"Okay," I said. "At least we have something.

"Have what?" Nino asked.

"The beginnings of a plan."

 ***Cries* So much work.**


	34. Chapter 34

Ladybug was gripping the corner of the table tightly.

"You know what to do when she shows up, right?"

"For the last time, yes!" Queenie snapped, impatient.

I nodded. Volpina, or Alya, was coming. The entire team was there, Me, Ladybug, Queen Bee and Nino. Well, almost the entire team. Marinette was missing in action. However, she had deposited Trixx into Ladybugs hands.

I didn't know the orange kwami well, but I knew she had a sarcastic streak running through her veins. She loved snide comments whenever I (as Adrien) did something ridiculous.

Now she was struggling. Kwamis had trouble being away from their person for too long. They didn't die, but they became weak. Trixx was fighting for breath, her orange skin pale.

I tapped my foot impatiently.

"We've been here for nearly an hour and she still hasn't shown," I said.

"She's coming," Trixx insisted. I fell silent, trying to pick my battles.

Queen Bee fiddled with a strand of blonde hair. She was biting her lip, her brows set in an expression of worry. Why was she worrying? For once we had the advantage of knowledge. Hawkmoth had been taking us by surprise for too long.

I allowed myself to let my guard down. What was the point in being so psyched up if nothing was happening? Queen Bee also didn't seem to be so alert. She was kind of gazing off into the distance, thinking. Nino was sitting on the ground. He hugged his knees close to his chest. Ladybug was the only one actually doing the job. She was still gripping the table. She was absolutely still, the only exemption being her blue eyes which darted across the market. She was like a living bomb; one touch and she would explode.

"LB," I said.

She barely glanced at me.

"What?" She snapped. I winced at her tone.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine."

I grabbed her wrist, forcing her to pry her gaze over to me.

"Everything is going to be okay, alright?"

Her eyes widened a little from shock. Then she smiled an actual, proper smile.

"Alright. Thanks-"

Her voice dropped.

"She's here!" Nino called. Trixx shivered a little. The proximity to Alya was restoring her strength.

"Places everybody!" I called out, clapping my hands together. Volpina was drawing closer to us, her orange dress trailing on the floor.

"Remember, we have to free the akuma as soon as possible! Once the illusions are formed, they won't go away unless we break thought them!" Ladybug reminded us.

"WE KNOW!" The rest of us yelled in unison.

We divided up, attempting to surround Volpina. I was clutching a staff. After the last incident with Volpina, I had accidentally destroyed a cane stall, so I cleaned it up and the owner was grateful enough to make me my shiny new weapon. I don't think he understood that I was the one who destroyed it in the first place.

Not that I'm complaining.

I took a swipe at Alya. She dodged. Ladybug thrust her mighty weapon, a yo-yo, at her. She ducked. Queenie's light whips flashed through the air. She didn't even have to duck, my partner's aim was so terrible.

"What are you playing at?" Nino yelled at her,

"Sorry!"

In unison, we charged at her. It seemed like we were mildly annoying gnats to her.

I swiped at struck her in the chest. She fell back and hit the ground, dissolving into orange dust and smoke.

"And illusion," Ladybug spat. I stared at the wisps of smoke flying out into the air.

"I hit her," I said. "But she didn't disappear until she hit the floor."

"Her powers must be getting stronger," Queen Bee said. "I've studied akumas. Every time they use their power it becomes better. So every time Alya creates an illusion..."

"I it becomes more real than the last," Nino groaned.

Ladybug looked around, trying to find the real Volpina.

"There!" She pointed up at the same roof she was on the last time. The akuma was raising her flute to her lips.

"GO!" I yelled.

Ladybug and Queenie were the first up. They latched onto the chimney with their weapons and yanked themselves up. I murmured a spell under my breath and leaped on top.

We were too late. Volpina had played her melody. Smoke curled out of the flute, flying up, up, up into the air. It kept climbing higher and higher into the sky.

"What did you make?" I asked.

She smirked.

Suddenly, I saw it. A giant rock, hurtling through the air straight at us.

Our eyes widened.

"Alya! Don't do this!" cried Ladybug.

"I'm not Alya anymore."

"Yes! Yes, you are!"

She took a step forward.

"You're Alya Cesaire. Your parents own a cafe. You have, like, a million siblings. Your best friend is Marinette Dupain Cheng. You're in love with Nino Lahiffe. You played hero when you were younger. You found the stream behind the ivy wall."

Ladybug took a deep breath. Volpina had a dazed look on her face.

"You love macaroons. You're terrible at math. You had your first kiss at 15. You are Alya. Deep down, you know that. Come back to us. Please."

The angry glow in Alya's eyes faded.

"Oh my god," she muttered. "What have I done?"

Ladybug surged forwards and hugged Alya. Alya hugged her back.

"Quick! Destroy the necklace!"

Ladybug unlatched the necklace and threw it to the floor. It shattered.

Nino laughed. For the first time in ages, my best friend laughed. He ran forward and pulled Alya away from Ladybug. I smiled, but not for long.

"Guys, shouldn't the meteor be stopping?"

It was like the mood suddenly went dark. The giant rock was still hurtling towards us, ready to kill

"It's real enough to destroy Paris," Queenie muttered. "What have you done?"

Alya raised her hand to her mouth.

"I can't stop it!" She said frantically. "I can create but I can't destroy my illusions! Not unless I-"

She cut off. Her eyes had a scared look in them.

"It's the only way."

She reached inside her dress sleeve and pulled out a knife.

"Alya, what are you-" I said.

She kissed Nino quickly. He looked so confused. He looked like how I felt.

"I'm sorry," she said sadly and looking at Ladybug and Nino, she said,

"I love you guys."

Then, before any of us could protest, she stabbed herself in the stomach.

 ***Are you still here? Don't kill me? Please?***


	35. Chapter 35

Alya.

Alya was laughing. Alya was smiling. Alya was reading. Writing.

All of these memories existed at the same time. If every moment is really happening simultaneously, then Alya was dying at the same time she was born. Alya was dying at the same time as she did a million wonderful things.

Her blood pooled out onto the ground. The meteor disappeared with a puff of smoke, but it didn't really matter if everyone died. If Alya was gone there was no point in the world being there at all. My sunlight was her existence, and without sunlight, nothing can flourish. Everything would be dead.

As her last breath left her, I died on the inside.

I felt hollow. Empty. Horrified. This is just a nightmare, I tried to tell myself. This isn't real. I'm asleep.

But I'm awake.

"Alya!"

Nino screams still echoed in the air; His cries rattled our surroundings. He was bending over her, trying to shake her alive. Chat wrapped his arm around me and pulled me in, letting me cry into his chest. My tears soaked and stained his shirt but he didn't care. He didn't say anything; he just held me close with tear filled eyes. Queen Bee was staring in shock at the corpse of my best friend. I didn't try to understand my friend at that moment. Her sapphire eyes were hiding some kind of emotion, but what I couldn't tell. She wore a mask over her real one.

Somewhere below, Trixx had dissolved into dust. The kwami's life had ended because I had failed. The little fox who played with Tikki was no more. I remember, as a small child, Trixx and Tikki were so small that they could both fit in my cupped hands with room to spare. They hadn't mastered flying yet; they just zipped around sharply and crashed into several lamps and glasses. Trixx was always the one aiming for the fragile objects. Now she was gone.

My hands were shaking. No. No. No.

I couldn't bring myself to look at the body again. I didn't want to see my friend's happy eyes lifeless.

"I'll-I'll go fetch her mother," I choked out and pried myself away from Chat's embrace. Then I looked at Nino.

"Can you come with me, please?" I murmured. He peeled his eyes away from the corpse and nodded, her bloodshot eyes staring at the floor.

We walked away. The trip to the cafè was one taken in silence, trying to work out how to tell a desperate family that their daughter is dead.

The bell rang, as it always did. But now the cheerful ringing seemed dismal, like the sound of surrender.

The restaurant was empty except for 3 souls: Alya's mother, father, and brother. Mrs. Cèsaire rose when she saw us enter, her expression hopeful and scared at the same time. Mr. Cèsaire wore an expression of strength but was really a man who knew he had lost. Caleb's eyes were oh-so-similar to Alya's. He looked just like she did when she was anxious; the pressed lips, the furrowed brows. The family had a flicker of something good run through them, only for it to be banished with a shake of my head.

I thought Nino's cry would be the worst thing I would ever have to hear, but it was triumphed by the wail of a mother who had lost her child. Mrs. C was on the floor, clutching a handkerchief to her chest.

"My poor baby," she cried. "My poor, poor Alya."

Caleb punched the table. Mr. Cèsaire let tears slip out of his eyes. He was a strong man, but death can make any person, no matter how powerful, fall to their knees.

"I'm so sorry," I croaked, peeling off my mask. "This is all my fault."

Nobody said anything. Nobody told me that 'of course it wasn't your fault' because they knew better. Because it was my fault.

The next hour was a blur. I changed into Marinette and we returned to the body. It was cold to touch at this point. The screams from her family were painful enough to make me break down completely. Chat had to take me away, back to the cafè. He whispered to me, saying it would be all right. It wasn't anybody's fault but Hawkmoth's. I cried as we walked the paved streets of Paris. The city of love was ridden with death.

How many had died? Nathaniel, Lila, Alya, and Trixx. Four of my friends had paid with their lives for our small rebellion.

Chat and I may have been the first, but the rest of Alya's family had slowly returned. Her siblings wept. Her parents came back wearing a brave face. Nino and Queenie looked empty.

We sat in silence. Then Caleb asked,

"How?"

Chat and Queenie explained what happened and how we had tried everything. They told them about Alya's sacrifice. She saved everyone.

"So my girl died a hero," her father said, a small smile on his lips.

A hero.

I gasped. They all looked at me, as my hands began to shake again.

"A hero," I said. "Her destiny was to become a hero."

A week later.

I knocked on Nino's door. He didn't answer, but I heard the sounds of crashes and bangs from the other side.

"Nino!" I called. "It's Mari! Let me in!"

His mother had dragged me over, worried about him. None of us had moved on, but I had to return to my life. Nino did not do so. He shut himself away from the rest of the world, ignoring his family's pleas.

"Go away!" A voice called through the bangs. Tikki looked at me, her blue eyes tired. She was done with life.

"I'm coming in!" I yelled. The tough-love approach tended to work well for me. I barged in through the door and into a... a musicians hell.

Every single instrument Nino owned was either destroyed or lying on the floor. He sat on the floor surrounded by the disembodied instruments, crying.

"Nino!" I gasped. "What happened?"

His voice quivered.

"Music isn't right anymore," he said. "It feels so dead. Without Alya, there shouldn't be music."

"Don't say that," I tried to reassure him. "You're a destined musician, remember? Music will come back to you."

"What if I don't want it to?"

I looked up in shock.

"What? Nino! It's your destiny!"

"I don't want my destiny anymore!" He yelled. "She was supposed to be there too! I will never play another note as long as I live!"

Suddenly, a green light erupted from my friend. I shielded my eyes, but when I opened them, Nino's kwami was gone.

"Where's Coren?" I asked. His mouth was agape as he pointed towards a pile of green ash. The kwami was dead, but Nino was not.

"I don't believe it," Tikki gasped. "He broke his destiny."

 ***Sorry not sorry. I've been planning her death for a while. No, I did not cry as I typed.**

 **Okay, maybe a little. WHAT HAVE I DONE?***


	36. Chapter 36

Nino was leaving Paris.

Marinette and I protested, but he was adamant.

"There's nothing left for me here," he had said.

So there we were on the edge of the forest. He had a satchel slung over his shoulder, filled with money and freshly baked bread and other provisions, supplied by myself and Marinette. Nino wore a plain tunic and trousers, though Mari had shoved handmade clothes into his bag despite his protests. He said we were doing too much, but I felt I wasn't doing enough. I gave him a couple coins and nothing else. Marinette did all the work.

I watched her embrace him in a tight hug. Her tear-filled eyes were on the brink of spilling.

"Where will you go?" She asked. Nino shrugged.

"I don't know."

Marinette released him. A salty water droplet slid down her cheek and dripped onto her shirt. She rubbed her eyes with her hands and he placed his hands on her shoulders. She sniffed.

"Don't cry," he said.

"How can I not cry? Nino, you're like a brother to me!"

He smiled.

"You've always been there for me Mari, but now I have to be there for myself. You've been like a sister to me for years and I'm going to miss you."

Marinette smiled weakly and wiped her eyes.

"I know you have to go," she said. "Goodbye, Nino."

"Goodbye, Marinette."

Tikki nuzzled his cheek. I wished Tikki was my kwami, she was so much nicer.

Nino released her shoulders and turned to me.

"Hey man," I said, my voice too high then I would have liked it.

Nino pulled me in for a hug. When he let me go I spoke.

"I just wanted to say thanks."

"For what?"

"For being my friend."

He grinned a little.

"It's pretty hard to not be your friend, Adrien. And I still am, no matter what."

He started walking but looked back at us.

"Tell my parents I love them, okay?"

Marinette nodded, her lips pressed together in an attempt not to sob.

Nino walked away through the woods. We were silent, trying to hear each one of his footsteps and each snap of the stomped upon twigs. We squinted, trying to see him as he walked out of view.

There are many ways of dealing with grief. It's this present feeling that you can't escape once you've lost someone. You can ignore it but you can't shake it. You can run but you can't run away from it. You can accept it, the most painful way of all. You aren't stronger than a person who chose a different method. You can't blame others for running or hiding. It doesn't make them weak. Grief just leaves a scar in you; It'll hurt for awhile as it heals, but then you'll stop noticing it. But the scar is always there. You can always see it. It will just become part of your normal.

Nino chose to run so no one could see his scars. I can respect that. I wasn't better than him for staying. I just hoped one day he could come back.

"I guess It's just you and me now," Marinette said sadly.

"Yeah, I guess so."

There was a pause.

"We should talk."

"Yeah," I agreed.

Marinette sighed and sat down on the muddy early winter ground. I sat beside her.

"So," I said awkwardly.

"You kissed me," she stated. "Why?"

I thought it was obvious.

"I like you. I like you a lot."

Her face plummeted unto her knees. I thought she was crying, but she was giggling.

"What?" I asked. "What did I do? Marinette, we're having a serious moment here."

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It's just I like you too."

"Really?"

"Duh, for like a year."

"Oh my god, I'm so stupid." It was my face's turn to plummet.

"You really are."

"Hey!"

She snorted and I laughed.

For a second, we were happy. Then it faded.

"You know this could never work, right?"

The truth rose with her words.

"I know," I said, voice sounding like a dull knife.

"I mean, you're a prince and I'm a girl who's going to die."

"You're not going to die."

"Yes, I am. I've accepted it. You need to too."

"I can't just do that. We're going to break the curse, Mari."

"How?"

"By killing Hawkmoth."

Marinette groaned.

"Not you too."

"What do you-"

"Just stay out of it!" She snapped. "It's bad enough that Alya is dead and Nino is gone! Don't risk your life too!"

She stormed off, leaving a confused prince in her wake.

MLBMLBMLB

"You're plan is going well, Hawkmoth," said Chloè in the dark, musty alleyway.

"You doubted me?"

"Of course not."

"She's running out of friends to sacrifice." Hawkmoth sounded pleased, his icy voice.

"Yes, about that. The prince is a very dear friend to her. I hope you won't forget your part of the bargain."

"Of course not. You will marry the prince when the game is won."

"Promise me." Chloè's voice was sharp. "Promise me no harm will come to Adrien."

"I promise."

"How do I know you're not lying?"

Hawkmoth sighed.

"Come closer."

Chloè took a reluctant step. She tried to ignore her shaking hands.

Hawkmoth lifted up his mask.

Chloè's eyes widened at the man sitting before her.

Then she smiled.

"Okay then. Let's get cracking."

 ***Sorry it's short. My bad. I pushed off writing it because I'm tired. So, you can feel the conclusion coming, huh? I think maybe 6 more chapters. YOU'RE NEARLY FREE! A lot of you are asking me to stop killing off so many characters. Let me just check my hit list...**

 **Nope! Not done yet!***


	37. Chapter 37

The annual masquerade date had been announced, therefore business at the stall was booming. We were taking orders for gowns, suits and every single article of clothing imaginable. Chat complained about the overwhelming demand for our products, but for me, it was something to help take my mind off of everything. Sewing and designing was now more than a pastime for me; it was a retreat. I could forget about Hawkmoth and Alya and Nino and my romantic drama with Adrien. I could forget about the fact that if I broke my curse, I would break my destiny and kill Tikki. I could forget my worries about how Nino was faring in the world without a kwami or a familiar face. Most importantly, I could push aside the fact that the masquerade was the day before my birthday; the day before I would fall into an eternal sleep.

I had one and a half months left to live. It seemed so far away when it was a year, but my impending doom was growing closer and closer. I was running out of time to kill Hawkmoth and, in doing so, push my curse into nonexistence. In other words, hopeless. I knew Hawkmoth's game. Keep me distracted with spies and hostages so I couldn't scrape together a resistance against him. Well, one crisis had been resolved, only one more. The spy.

I figured there were two options: Chat Noir or Queen Bee. I had known Chat much longer than Queenie, but did that count for anything? Chat pushed his allegiance upon me but I didn't protest. I snuck a glance towards my partner, who had his tongue stuck out a little as he scribbled down an order for a customer. He was adorable. I just wanted to hug him. Yes, Chat made annoying puns and flirted a lot, but he was my friend and I trusted him. Then again, I thought the same of Queenie.

How could one of my friends betray me?

"LB? Milady, we need all hands on deck here!" Chat said, trying to write down three things at once.

"Right! Sorry," I shook myself out of my doubts. It had to be someone else. It had to.

I started taking orders, surrounded by crowds but feeling so lonely. I couldn't talk to anyone, for fear they could be the one who would destroy my trust. Well, there was one person, but I pushed him away. Adrien. Adrien liked me, as in liked me, and I loved him. What was the problem? He was just as lonely as me. His father saw him as his legacy, not a person. Adrien had an uncle and a cousin, but they were just as bad.

I didn't really know anymore.

Chat sighed with relief as our last customer filed his order. I sat down on the ground and let my head drop to my knees.

"There's a lot here," Queenie said checking over the list. "Are you sure you don't need a hand, LB?

"It'll be fine," I waved my hand, brushing off her concern. "Besides, you make pottery, not dresses."

"True. But if you need anything-"

"I'll ask," I finished, sighing again.

The market was filled with the cheerful voices of a finished day's work. Sellers were packing up their goods, chatting to one another. I left a handful of coins on the provided table and began to pack up our scarce leftovers. Chat thrust a handful of homemade bracelets into his satchel and Queenie carefully placed a couple of pots in her bag. I waded up the remaining garments and shoved them into my large bag.

Then I noticed something.

The market had gone quiet. The atmosphere had morphed from pleasant to terror. People's cheerful voices were stifled. I looked up. The sky was dark, even though it had been clear moments ago. Grey clouds had overtaken the blue. A chill shivered down my back. The air was cold. The only sound I could hear was a cold, evil laugh.

"Stormy Weather," I muttered.

Queenie cursed before screaming:

"Everybody run!" The people stampeded away, running for their lives.

There was a ripple of warmth beside me as Queenie summoned her whips. They glowed in the darkness.

"Where is she?" Chat said frantically, his head lashing back and forth trying to spot the akuma.

Stormy Weather was a rare sight. She had power over the weather, as her name suggests. She usually caused terror in other areas of France in an attempt to spread Hawkmoth's rule. She never attacked Paris, but we had all heard of her. Her real name was Aurore. She had lost her family to a storm many years back. Her bitterness brought her to Hawkmoth, who publicly turned her into a villain.

"Show yourself!" I called, letting my hand catch fire. A giggling voice rang around me.

"Give me what Hawkmoth wants, and maybe I'll think about it."

"Don't do this, Aurore!"

I only had a second to dodge the ray of ice that came at me. I had a feeling that if I was too late, I would have been turned into a popsicle.

"Don't call me that!" She snarled, revealing herself to be hovering above us. Her purple hair lashed around her in the winds. Parasol glowed, cooling down from the attack.

"Give them to me and I'll spare your friends!"

"Give what to her?!" Chat screamed over the howling winds. I shook my head.

"Not important!"

"Wha-" Another blast of ice interrupted Chat's sentence. I looked over my shoulder, expecting to see Chat barely escaping.

The thing is, he didn't.

"No!" I screamed because Chat was stuck in a block of ice. His face was set in a startled expression, almost like he was saying oh dear. I lobbed the fire that was flickering in my at the block. He wasn't dead. No, no, no. I had already lost so much. Please, no. Please.

"Hand them over, Ladybug!"

"Never!" I screamed, trying to fight back the tears. Another blast. I jumped out of the way, but it hit my foot. I fell on the ground, my cheek stinging from the impact. I attempted to pull my foot free, to no avail.

"Queenie! Queenie help!" But Queenie was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes were wide and her glowing lashes faded from existence, leaving us in darkness. The ice that Chat was stuck in her slowly melting away, thanks to my magical fire.

Fire.

Queenie was hit square on my a blast. I rubbed my hands together and started chanting. My hands started to steam. Stormy Weather glided over to me.

"Hand over the earrings, Marinette, or else your friends will be frozen forever!"

"No!" I spat and placed my steaming hands on the ice, melting it instantly. But Stormy just pointed her parasol at my chest.

"Don't-" she was cut off by an arrow whizzing past her ear.

"What is-" she tried to say, but someone grabbed her from behind, snatched her parasol and broke it in half over their knee. The skies cleared instantly, but I was more concerned with my saviors. Alya's brother Caleb was clutching a bow in his hand on a building above. He waved down at me.

And then in front of me was a girl. She was the one who broke the parasol and saved my life.

"Manon?!"

 **I''ve planned out the next few chapters!**


	38. Chapter 38

A 13-year-old was sitting cross-legged on the ground in front of us, her long brown hair pouring over her shoulders as she told us about her fight against Hawkmoth.

"We're basically a rag-tag group of rebels," she finished off casually, glancing at the crushed akumatized object in her hand. As soon as we heard the tone of a completed story, the questions spilled out of our mouths like a waterfall.

"Do you have any weapons?"

"What age are you?"

What do you call yourselves?"

"Do you have a plan?" Ladybug spoke over Queenie and I's rapid interrogation. Manon sighed. Caleb was beside her.

I didn't really know much about Alya's look-alike brother. He was tall with broad shoulders and a big heart. From the few days that I knew him, I had gathered he wouldn't hurt a fly. But there he was, a bow and quiver stocked full of arrows slung over his shoulder. I had been stuck in the ice, but Ladybug told me Manon and Caleb had saved her from Stormy Weather. At first, Queenie and I thought it was a joke. Then I saw the look of seriousness in Manon's young eyes. Was this really the girl who I had donated money to mere weeks before? Was this the girl whose father I had managed to wrangle a job for? Was this the girl who sold candles at the market and chased her sister for sweets?

"We don't have a plan," Caleb sighed. Manon shrugged.

"Revolution is hard. We've been trying to hit them where it hurts, but we haven't formed a real plan yet. Just the beginnings. It's not like those stories Maman would tell me where the good guys always win."

Caleb placed his hand on the girl's shoulder. He had to bend down a little because of her height combined with the fact that she was sitting on the ground. Manon smiled a little and fiddled with her sleeve.

"You and your group of rebels," Ladybug said but was interrupted with a thought. "What do you guys call yourselves? Do you have a team name?"

Caleb grinned. "We occasionally go by Team Miraculous. The thirteen-year-old came up with that."

"Hey!"

"So does Team Miraculous have many people?" Ladybug continued. "Is it enough for an organized resistance?"

"Not really. There's a handful of us, most of us around my age. Manon's the youngest."

"And the best," chimed in the girl. She received an annoyed yet amused glance from her teammate.

"I only joined after Alya died," Caleb said.

"So a month or two?"

"Around. Haven't really been keeping track."

Caleb stared down at his feet, his eyes glistening with tears. Alya's loss was hitting him just as hard as us. Sometimes in my dreams, she would haunt me, asking why I couldn't help her. Why?

Manon stiffened, tensing alongside the atmosphere. She brought us back to the subject.

"We're here because you're a symbol of hope. People are beginning to fight back, Ladybug! And it's because of you!"

Caleb looked up again, the stray tears wiped away.

"We want your help M-Ladybug. We want all of you guys to help us." Manon stood up.

"We have the smallest sliver of a plan, but we need to know who Hawkmoth is before we can do anything. Without that information, nothing will work."

Queenie, Ladybug and I looked at each other.

"Let's do it," Queenie said.

MLBMLBMLB

The castle was eerily silent. I noticed this immediately as I snuck back in. The castle was never quiet, even at midnight, there would be a soul scrubbing at the floor or the yell of a guard. There would always be someone watching over my chambers, making sure I didn't run off in the dead of night. Natalie's swift footsteps would always be presents, lightly gliding along the corridors. There was only one possible time when the castle would go silent. An arrival of family.

Uncle Fèlix.

The wooden flooring creaked as I placed my weight upon it. I slowly crept down to the throne room, the place where I knew the people of the castle would have been gathered in silent wait. Light poured in from the windows. Dust was suspended in the rays, quietly existing. The castle was bright with the chilly afternoon sun, but it had never been so cold.

My uncle was a strange man. He appeared every few years with his son, who also went by the name Fèlix, with a warm booming voice welcoming me. He was my grandfather's younger son, therefore not in line for the throne unless I died. He had never plotted against my father, but it was something I wouldn't be surprised for my cousin to do. He was like an eighteen-year-old dog who followed his father around everywhere. He didn't like me. However, my uncle seemed fond of me. Yet he treated the less noble class like dirt, similar to my own father.

My uncle lived somewhere on the outskirts of Paris. He never entered the city, as far as we knew. He only appeared every couple of years if it benefited him. There was always an ulterior motive.

As I approached the throne room I heard the shuffling of people on their feet and the silent calling of jobs that needed to be done. Yet it was the tradition for the entire staff of the castle to flock into the room during arrivals of importance. I entered and slowly made my way towards the top of the room, with many 'excuse me's and 'pardon, may I get through's. I stood beside my cousin. He had platinum blonde hair and towered above me.

"Hello, Fèlix," I said a brightly as I could. He glanced down at me before saying coldly,

"Hello, Adrien."

And that was the end of our conversation.

My uncle turned around cheerfully at the sound of my voice.

"Adrien, my boy! Come here and let me get a look at you!" He beckoned me over, and I had no choice but to oblige. He pulled me into a hug.

"You were only this high when I saw you last!" My uncle gestured to a spot halfway up his chest.

"I was 12, uncle."

"Ah, yes. And you're 14 now?"

"I'm 16."

My uncle seemed a little embarrassed. He twisted his ring. I glanced down at it.

The ring was intricate. It had a silver band, and the centre held a small, purple gem. The thing was, I felt power coursing from it. It pulsed with strength and magic.

No, it couldn't be.

But his voice. I had heard it elsewhere. It haunted my dreams.

My uncle was Hawkmoth.

 ***Canon: Gabriel is Hawkmoth.**

 **Me: Okay true but no.***


	39. Chapter 39

I sat across from Manon and beside Chat at a table in the Cèsaire restaurant the day after we learned about their rebel organization. My fingers drummed against the wooden surface impatiently as we waited for Queenie. My fingers tapped out a rhythm, repeating itself over and over and over again. I had a thing for repetitiveness. Rhythms, knitting, sewing; there was something about doing a simple action a million times until it formed a result, that calmed me. Whether it was stabbing a piece of fabric with a needle or annoying my company with my consistent tapping, it just mentally pleased me.

Caleb brought in a basket of fresh bread from the kitchen, probably from my father's batch this morning. Chat seized it eagerly the second the basket had touched the table.

"What?" He said muffled through a mouth full of bread. "Their suppliers are the best bakers in Paris!"

"The Dupain-Chengs are extremely talented," Caleb agreed, sitting down beside Manon with a smirk in my direction. "Ever heard of them, Ladybug?"

"No, can't say I have."

Chat gasped.

"My lady! Say it isn't so!"

I bit back a smile.

"Afraid not, Chaton."

When I was sure no one was looking, I winked in Caleb's direction.

It took several minutes and slices of bread for the bell above the door and the "Sorry I'm late!" to ring through the cafè. Queen Bee pulled up an additional chair to the table while stammering excuses about meeting up with an old friend.

"Well, we're out of bread so we might as well start," Manon said, standing up at the table.

"From what we can figure, magic comes from a gem of power. You three probably know your own. The gem usually channels some sort of element. Water, fire, creation, destruction. There are so many it's hard to keep track, but we do know the most powerful three: the moth, the turtle, and the lion. The moth gem grants its user the power to give others strength, motivation, and courage. It symbolizes the human will. The turtle took time, wisdom and age. The user can live for extended periods of time. And finally, the most powerful was the gemstone of the lion. Create and destruction. Life and death. Darkness and light. Luck and misfortune. The power of opposites. These wielders had always worked together in doing good. They were close friends.

"One day, the lion gem wielder lost control. The power overwhelmed her. She just wasn't strong enough. She lost her mind and tried to destroy her city. The other two killed her.

"In order to prevent a similar event from ever happening again, the moth and turtle holder split the lion gem in two; into the cat and the ladybug. They altered it so that the gems could not be activated until their users were ready. Also, the gem of the cat could not be activated until the ladybug one was. But they were only at half their potential. Only when a person wore both gems could they have the full power. The turtle wielder took them for safekeeping."

"So Hawkmoth wants them? To have the power of the opposites?" Chat asked.

"That's what we think."

I reached for my earrings, drinking it in. I, a clumsy 17-year-old girl, had half of the world's most powerful object.

"So, how do we have them?" I asked.

"The turtle holder gave them to you," Caleb shrugged.

"You mean the new one?"

"No. The one from the story. This only happened 170 years ago."

My mouth fell open until Queenie nudged me.

"Jeez, the turtle gem slows down aging."

"Oh, alright. So, what was the point of the story?"

"I'm getting to it," Manon said impatiently. "The story says that they couldn't defeat the crazy wielder until they combined their powers. That's the trick. To defeat one gem holder, you need the other two. We have your gems, making one. However, the other is... a little lost." Manon

"No, it's not." Chat said abruptly. "This guy, he gave out our miraculouses. Well, our gems. Same thing. That means he must be Fu."

"Who?" I asked.

Manon shook her head.

"Not possible. I knew Master Fu. He lived on my street. He was a healer, but nothing more."

I stared at my feet.

"A local healer gave me my ear- my gem."

Manon shook her head again.

"No, no. Please, it can't be him!"

"Why? Queenie asked.

"Because he's dead!"

Manon slammed her head against the table and groaned. Caleb sighed.

"We'll check his house," Queenie suggested. "Maybe it'll be there."

"Yeah, but even then, who's gonna wield it?" I asked.

"I'll do it," Manon said.

We looked at her. This thirteen-year-old girl was volunteering for a suicide mission.

"You're crazy!"

"No way!"

Our voices of disapproval rang out.

"Well, are any of you volunteering?"

"I'll do it," Caleb stands upright and stares at her in desperation. "Manon, you're a kid."

"I think you'll find that I've matured enough, thank you very much. Caleb, I want to do this."

There was a moment where the two rebels glared at each other in a silent argument. Then Caleb reluctantly gave in. His gaze dropped to the table in defeat. The

"Let's- let's just find this ruddy thing first, okay?"

"Okay. Chat, you come with me so we can find this damned gem," Manon ordered. "Meet us back here in an hour."

With that, she leaped up and left the cafè, Chat Noir in hot pursuit.

MLBMLBMLB

The hour ended. Then two. Then three. Nothing was more terrible than waiting. Queenie had run off and then returned from who knows where. I had stayed with Caleb and Mrs. Cèsaire. I helped in the kitchen for awhile. Cooking was one of those repetitive tasks that calmed me. However, the people had eventually left the restaurant as it closed. Then we were left with nothing to do but wait.

Finally, the bell violently rang.

"Quick! Get a doctor!" Chat's voice begged. I turned in my seat to see Manon, limp in Chat's arms. A flower of blood spread from her shirt. In one swift movement, I knocked all the platters on the table to the floor with a clang. Chat laid her down across it. Queenie had run out into the deserted street.

Manon gasped for breath.

"What happened?"I demanded as I tried to slow the blood loss. I couldn't use healing magic. I never learned.

"We got there and found the gem in some old music player. We were about to leave but there was an akuma. He threw a dagger but- but Manon dived in front of me. She saved my life.

Caleb sat by Manon, watching as the life faded from her. He grabbed her hand and shut his eyes as another person he cared about died slowly

It was like he was losing another sister.

Manon opened her eyes a little and took a shaky breath. She looked at Chat.

"I know it's you giving us the money. Thank you."

The money? What-

The anonymous donor. The person giving money to Manon's family.

It was Chat.

"Chat, can you take care of my family?"

Chat blinked away tears.

"I promise."

An ache settled in my heart as this innocent 13-year-old girl closed her eyes for the last time. 13.

She was a child.

 **Yes, it's a day early. No, I do not care.**

 **SO THAT UP MONTAGE IN ONCE UPON A TIME BROKE MY HEART AND THEN STOMPED ON IT LIKE WHY? WHY?**


	40. Chapter 40

I pressed my ear against the throne room door, straining my ears to hear through the think wood. The guards had been dismissed mere moments before. I hoped that they wouldn't report it to my father, but I had to know what my uncle, the man who cursed Marinette and destroyed her life, was saying to my father and why I was forbidden to enter the throne room. All I could make out were muted voices in deep discussion. I shoved my ear harder but to no avail.

"You know, that's not going to work."

I whipped around to see my cousin staring blankly at me. I may have gasped in shock.

"Fèlix! This- This isn't what it looks like!"

"So you're not trying to spy on our respective fathers' discussion? A shame, I know just the spot to do that."

I scowled.

"Okay, spill."

Fèlix, who was being suspiciously nice today, lead me to the peephole in the portrait above the throne room. Our family used it during audiences in case someone whipped out a sword and went for my father. Someone would look through the hole and if the subject made any sort of move which the spy didn't like, the poor subject would get an arrow through the heart. We hadn't used it in years but it still served its purpose.

I looked through the hole. My father was pacing, saying "Marriage? He's just a boy, Fèlix!"

"Marriage?" I whispered, almost unsure I heard it right. I glanced at Fèlix who nodded, looking just as surprised as me.

"Adrien is seventeen! You need to start thinking about this. Why rumour has it he's fallen for some peasant girl!"

I clutched my fists angrily. This time it was Fèlix who glanced over at me in the silence which followed.

My controlling family was silent as my father took in the information.

"What?" He finally asked, his voice wavering in anger. "He has what?"

Fèlix looked at me with the 'you're in so much trouble young man' expression. I was biting my tongue to stop myself from lashing out at my uncle or murdering my entire family.

"Someone saw him kiss a baker's daughter outside a performance by Jagged Stone," my uncle continued. "I did some digging, she's in his class at school." he walked over to my father, who was still pacing.

"You must promise him to someone of noble status before he becomes obsessed with this girl. Adrien understands duty, he will not object."

I was objecting very hard.

"But who?" My father asked croakily. He sounded so tired and upset. He was old; his grey hairs had finally started to show. Wrinkles had begun to etch his face. My uncle smiled widely.

"Chloè Bourgeois, of course."

I gasped audibly and fell back. Fèlix looked down at me in pity, not because I fell but because of the name, his father had just said. Chloè was notoriously wicked. She wasn't as bad to me, but she was still clingy and treated herself like she was above everyone else.

I did not want to marry Chloè.

"Think about it, Gabriel. She's a noblewoman, Adrien's age and he's known her his entire life. She's perfect for the role."

I heard the consideration in the air. Then:

"You're right, brother. Arrangements will be made."

I groaned and punched a nearby wall.

MLBMLBMLB

"We have exactly two weeks to work out a way to kill Hawmoth once and for all," I said sharply at our emergency meeting the same day. After Manon died and we had dawdled in our great mission. We found the gem, we deserved a break. The problem was, we had a gem and no one to wield it. We had no plan.

"What's with the time limit?" Queenie asked. I swore in my head.

"Um, the masquerade will be his weakest point. Everyone will be in masks, not just us. There's also a happy atmosphere, so akumas won't be as strong."

"Sounds reasonable," Ladybug said, twirling a piece black hair around her finger.

"Yeah," Queenie chirped brightly. She was in a good mood, why I didn't know. Whatever the case, she wasn't yelling at me. That was a good thing.

"But Chat, we need to know who Hawkmoth is first," Ladybug said. She splashed her bare feet in the Seine. We were sitting at a picnic spot. I figured Mrs. Cèsaire didn't want us bringing in any more bodies.

"That's the thing, LB. I know who Hawkmoth is."

Ladybug and Queenie looked at each other, shocked.

"What?!"

"And you didn't tell us because?"

I sighed.

"It's just- he's family, okay?"

That shut them up. Their eyes widened.

"You're related to Hawkmoth? Oh my god, Chat-"

"It's okay," I told Ladybug. "He's a douche."

I sighed again and closed my eyes. How much guilt was I going to feel? A lot. How angry would my father be? Very.

Would Marinette have a shot at living?

Yes.

"Hawkmoth is the king's brother."

Ladybug gasped.

"Fèlix Agreste is Hawkmoth?" She was so shocked that she temporarily forgot that I was somehow related to Hawkmoth.

"Wait," Queenie said. "You said he was family. That means you're- you're Fèlix Jr?"

I laughed a little, despite the tension.

"Nah, I'm his cousin."

"Cousin..." Ladybug said, almost scared. "Oh my god!"

I finally took off my mask, exposing my face to the cool air.

"Surprise," I said, waving my hands feebly in the air. "I'm prince Adrien."

 **A few more chapters left! I have them planned and everything!**


	41. Chapter 41

The King's brother was Hawkmoth. Hawkmoth was Chat's uncle. Chat Noir was Prince Adrien, the boy who I had been crushing on for almost a year. The boy who helped me walk in the woods, The boy who vowed to break my curse, the boy who kissed me as the crowds swarmed around us. He was also the boy who made puns under a mask and danced with me the night of the masquerade and brought a smile to my face. He was the boy who comforted me when Alya was first taken and shared a moment with me in front of the castle.

My heart, my head, and my soul were confused.

Chat and Adrien were two different people! It was unfathomable that they could be one in the same. Adrien was so sweet and kind and polite while Chat was flirty and so- so- Ugh! What on earth was wrong with me? Yes, Chat was Adrien! Yes, I loved Adrien! But last time I checked, I wasn't in love with Chat Noir! But I was because I fell for Adrien? How does that make sense?

He couldn't have made his alter-ego more unlike the other part if he tried. Chat was a heroic, flirty catastrophe! He would probably have made a pun in how catastrophe began with cat if I let him into my war-torn subconscious. Actually, I had never seen Chat do one good thing seriously, without jokes or pickup lines. But Adrien? Plenty!

I guess the question is... Who is he?

Have you ever thought you knew someone, but then they do something that makes you question everything you've ever filed under their name? Have you ever thought 'I've finally figured them out" but then they throw you a total curveball? Imagine that feeling times a thousand. Then you may get a glimpse of how I was feeling. A boy I loved and a boy I didn't were one. And I didn't even know which one was the one who was real.

All of these thoughts were rushing through my head as I paced the balcony on the castle, whilst hoping that no one would see me. It was Adrien's window and the night was still. A moon shone brightly behind me, slowly rising to start its journey overhead. I finally worked up the nerve and tapped on the glass. I tapped again and again until a very annoyed and tired prince emerged from the depts of his room. His blonde hair was messy and his squinted green eyes were full of sleep. His white shirt was crinkled and the folds were lopsided. He had never looked more handsome.

"Ladybug?" He said, opening the window. I waved.

"Hey."

It was so casual like we were two acquaintances meeting on the street. It felt weird like we were strangers.

"What are you doing here? It's kind of late."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. We just need to talk."

He shuffled awkwardly.

"Sure, um, do you want to come in?"

"No, let's talk out here."

I sighed.

"I want to apologize for running off earlier."

"For running off without a word?

I groaned. "I was just...surprised, Chat. No, Adrien. Ugh!"

I let my forehead slam into the railing. Adrien had climbed through the window and was standing next to me. I felt so terrible. When Adrien had told us, I just stared for a second, got up and left without a word or a glance back.

"Ladybug, it's fine."

"No, it's really not! I mean, I'm still confused! On one hand, you're Adrien, this amazing guy, and on the other hand, you're Chat Noir, another amazing guy but totally different to Adrien! I just want to know who you are! Are you Adrien or are you Chat? Or are you a mix of both? Or neither?

"I guess it shouldn't matter because you're my partner and my friend no matter what. But I don't know anything anymore! I don't know if I'm just in love with you as Adrien or do I love Chat too?"

I was more ranting to myself at this point, but Adrien caught that.

"In love with me? Oh my god, that's why you always turned me down! You were in love with me but you didn't know it was me. I mean, I'm obsessed with you! But now there's this other girl who's just so amazing and- wait. You were in love with Adrien, but this is the first time you've met Adrien."

A little dazed from his ramblings, I took a shaky breath.

"Right, that brings me to item number two on the agenda."

With trembling hands, I reached up and peeled my mask off my face.

There was a silence. Adrien's eyes widened and he stepped closer and closer until he was standing over me as if to see if I was real.

I smiled faintly and waved my hands in the air.

"Surprise! I'm-"

"Marinette." He finished, pulling me close to a hug. "Oh my god, I'm so stupid. It's so obvious now."

"You're not disappointed?"

"What? No!" He pulled away but kept his hands planted on my shoulders. "You're perfect."

"It was pretty obvious though," I agreed, smiling at his last comment.

"In my defense," he started, then stopped abruptly. "Okay, I got nothing. I can't believe I fell for you twice! Oh, this is so much better for my conscience."

I laughed. The feelings of confliction had somehow been replaced with relief.

"So, what now?" I asked.

"Well, seeing as you're here," he said, bending down on one knee. I had a slight pang of panic, but he merely said:

"Lady Marinette, or Ladybug, whatever. Would you give me the honor of attending the masquerade ball with me in what, one week's time?"

I smiled.

"Of course, kitty.

He stood. think in the heat of the moment, he forgot about my curse and the impending doom of Hawkmoth. He just pressed his lips against mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and for the first time in almost a year, I had a perfect moment. Because no matter who he was, he was my partner.

I loved both sides of him.

MLBMLBMLB

"We have a problem," Chloè said immediately, storming into Hawkmoth's throne room.

Hawkmoth looked up from a discussion with one of his other akumas,

"Miss Bourgeois, why do I have this pleasure?"

"Your nephew is Chat Noir."

Fèlix Agreste Senior jumped upright.

"What?! No, he can't be!"

"I saw it with my own two eyes, Hawkmoth. And this is the nephew you promised I would marry, remember? So I could escape my crummy destiny and become queen? Why am I still here? Huh?"

Hawkmoth dismissed his akumas with a wave of his hand. His expression burned with fury as he paced the long room.

"My own blood, working to betray me." Hawkmoth grabbed a nearby vase and flung it into the wall. It shattered on impact.

"What. About. Me?" Chloè said, emphasizing each word. "You promised me that I would become queen. If you kill Adrien, then what? You will have nothing to offer. All these months of spying for you will be for nothing!"

Hawkmoth took a shaky breath, still fuming in anger.

"The plan proceeds as follows. We will attack the night of the masquerade ball, take the miraculouses and kill them both."

"And why should I help you?"

"Because if my brother is without an heir, I am next in line to the throne. Then Fèlix, whose hand in marriage you can have, will be king when I pass."

Chloè took it in. It was an alternative.

"So you're just going to kill your nephew, no regrets?"

Hawkmoth sat back down, a mask of calm hiding his boiling blood.

"The second that boy put on the mask, he ceased to be my nephew."

MLBMLBMLB

The past five days were the happiest I had ever been, even though they were leading up to my curse finally activating because Adrien and I were together. We spent evenings by the river and afternoons in the cafè, plotting our final move. My mask was officially off, except for on Saturday when I spent the day at the market. Adrien donned his mask to sneak out of the castle, but took it off the second he sat down. Queenie was the only one who hadn't revealed herself, but she said she didn't know me and had only heard of Adrien. We respected her choice to stay masked, but I couldn't help but feel suspicious.

But it was not a time to be suspicious. Adrien was sitting beside me, holding my hand under the table. I couldn't help but smile. However, the topic we were discussing was gruesome. We had to murder Hawkmoth. For all the death I had seen, I had never actually killed someone. This is the only way, I kept reminding myself. You want to be free of your curse, don't you?

"Okay, masquerade ball. He'll obviously be there, and most likely not expecting an attack." Adrien took a sip of milk as I spoke. He thought it was funny. Cats, milk. I found it mildly irritating.

"The problem we keep coming back to is, who is going to use the turtle miraculous? Manon's dead and Caleb doesn't want anything to do with it. Queenie already has her gem in her comb and Adrien and I have ours. Even then, we'll have to teach someone to do the destruction of the miraculous spell it and I'm guessing it's a pretty complicated spell for a newbie."

Adrien squeezed my hand a little tighter.

"We'll work it out, Mari. We always do."

Queenie gagged. Then, she stared at something behind us.

"Hey everybody," said whoever she was staring at. I whipped around to see Nino, carrying a plate of sandwiches.

There was a second where nobody knew how to react. He put down his plate of sandwiches on the table. Finally, I heard myself shriek in surprise.

"Nino!" I stood up and hugged him so quickly that my chair fell to the floor with a clang.

"Hey, Mari, or should I say, Ladybug?"

I laughed.

"How long have you been back?" I asked, releasing him so he could breathe.

"Since late last night. Couldn't miss my friend's birthday now, could I?"

Adrien gently pushed me aside so he could have his turn.

"Dude! Why didn't you tell us?"

"I literally got back at midnight. I didn't think my parents would really want to see me after I left, and Mrs. Cèsaire's lights were on. She's letting me crash here for a bit."

He sat down beside Queenie.

"Adrien, what're you doing here? I mean, I'm glad to see you and all, but where's Chat Noir?"

I started to giggle. Adrien chuckled. Queenie laughed. Nino looked stricken.

"What did I do?"

"Nothing," I wheezed. "It's just that Adrien is Chat Noir!"

I had never seen anyone look more shocked in their life.

"NO WAY!" Nino yelled.

"Yep," Adrien confirmed.

"THIS IS SO COOL!"

Nino started freaking out, asking questions about Adrien's powers rapidly. He finished with:

"Man, I wish I had powers like you guys,"

Suddenly, a thought came to me. A stupid and reckless idea, but an idea none the less.

"Maybe you can."

I reached into my pocket, found the bracelet and placed it on the table.

I had found our turtle miraculous holder.

 ***Regular lengths of chapters? Sorry don't know her.***


	42. Chapter 42

This would either be our greatest victory or the end of our fight. One way or another, it all ends tonight. If we manage to kill my uncle the people would go back to living lives where they didn't have to send their children to work just to put food on the table. There would be no more Manons, no more families who couldn't afford a roof because of Hawkmoth's heavy taxes. But if we failed...

Marinette would never smile again. She would never take a waking breath or open her beautiful eyes. Hawkmoth would find a way to seize her earrings and control not just Paris, but the world.

Life as we knew it would end.

So I put on the show at the ball. This year I hadn't protested to the cat costume. In fact, I had asked for it. If all went well, I wouldn't have to dress up as Chat Noir again. This was Chat Noir's death day.

My uncle was acting off. His voice towards me was cold and stiff. However, my father was in a suspiciously cheerful mood. I stood beside him on the balcony, looking down on the people below. I scanned the colorful figures for a dash of red, but she hadn't arrived yet. Fèlix was on my other side, silently glaring at the crowd. Deep down, I knew Fèlix cared for the people. Or at least, I hoped so. When I left he'd be next in line.

Yes, I was planning to give up my spot on the throne. I had never wanted it anyway, destiny or not. Heck, Nino was the living proof that you could break a destiny, so why shouldn't I? I didn't want a kingdom or jewels or riches. All I had ever desired was a normal life, but my desires had been slightly altered. Now I wanted a normal life with Marinette. I wanted to wake up to her smile every day and watch as she stitched and sewed without fear that she would collapse into a deep sleep. I guess that my seventeen-year-old self-was a little, young to be thinking about that, but I knew I wanted to grow old with Marinette.

Finally, the flash of red entered the ballroom. I felt the smile creep up on my face as she lifted her head up. She grinned.

"Who is that?" Fèlix muttered. I guess I should have been angry with my cousin, but I was slightly smug at his amazed tone. I wanted to scream that she was my girlfriend and I loved her. Without a glance towards my family, I began to climb down the staircase. She was waiting for me at the bottom.

"My lady," I said, holding out my hand.

She laughed and took it.

"Chaton."

I placed my hand on her hip and suddenly we were gliding in the air. The bustling crowds disappeared as we soared on the dance floor as one, letting the music overtake us. Her red spotted dress skirt flounced as I spun her around. Her blue-black hair had been tied back in a braid which tossed in the air. Her masked blue eyes were happy, despite the fact that this was our only chance.

"Are you ready?" I murmured.

"Honestly, I can't wait to finally get it over with. I die or I don't. End of story."

"That's an odd way of looking at it."

"I guess it is."

She shrugged.

"What about Nino?" I asked, hoping my friend could pull off the spell. I had had months to learn how to control my powers, but he had had days.

"He thinks he's ready but..." she glanced at the floor.

"But he's not," I said it shortly. She nodded.

I span her around again.

Plagg said he would give us a signal when everything was in position. I did not think that position would be dropping a great, smelly piece of cheese on my head. Marinette laughed as the slice bounced to the floor. She doubled over, wiping tears from her eyes as I scowled.

"I'm sorry- I'm- Not the place or time. Okay, let's go."

We broke off from the dance floor and made our way up to my father and uncle. Marinette played the "I'm just going to meet my boyfriend's not evil uncle" very well with her fake nervous smile and her forcing herself to nibble on her lip. My father glared at Marinette and my uncle eyed her warily, probably knowing exactly who she was and what he had done to her.

"Adrien," my father said coldly.

"Father, this is Marinette. Marinette, this is my father, uncle, and cousin."

Marinette curtsied.

"Your Majesties."

There was the sound of an unsheathing dagger. Marinette sprang out of her curtsey with a knife in her hand, just as planned. She pointed it at my uncle. The guards beside my family surged forwards, but I froze them with a wave of my hand.

"Father, Fèlix, I'm going to have to ask you to calmly make your way below."

"Adrien, what is this?" My cousin asked.

"Go downstairs, last warning!"

My uncle regarded us coldly.

"Move downstairs, brother."

My father reluctantly guided my cousin downstairs. At this point, the people down below had begun to feel the atmosphere of an assassination. They had slowly turned up towards the balcony.

"The road ends here, Hawkmoth!" Marinette yelled it loud enough so the people below could hear, and judging by the gasps around the room she had succeeded. Nino broke his way through the crowd and ran up the stairs. There were scared murmurs surrounding us.

Nino had reached us, as did Queen Bee.

Nino was visibly scared. My friend's hands were trembling. Queen Bee, on the other hand, had never looked more confident. But she looked confident in a strange way; a smug way.

I held my hand out forward and began to chant the spell we had been pouring over for every hour of the day. Each person had a part to say. Queen Bee had seized my uncle in her glowing ropes. I closed my eyes and thought of every good thing in the world. Flowers. Sunshine. Mom. Marinette. Alya. Manon. Lila. Nathaniel. Every innocent soul who had been stripped of their future. They were finally being avenged. Their smiles and laughs filled my mind and filled it with power.

"Scrios an cloch, rinne sé mícheart. Maraíodh agus scriosadh é. Aimhriú iad siúd a fuair bás. Lig solas isteach sa domhan uair amháin níos mó. Scrios an cloch! Scrios an cloch!"

Marinette took a shaky breath and closed her eyes.

"Scrios an chloch. Goidte agus gortaíodh agus scriosta sé an saol. Tóg a chumhacht anois agus spártha na neamhchiontach. Scrios an chloch!"

Hawkmoth was struggling in the ropes. For a second, I felt hope. We could do this.

Nino's hands were still shaking. He took a deep breath and held up his vibrating hand.

"Scrios an-" he began, but became distracted by the fading of the golden whips. It was almost too fast to see. Queen Bee surged forwards and shoved Nino off the balcony.

"No!" I screamed. Queen Bee smirked and made her way over to Hawkmoth.

"Well done, my girl."

The spy. She was the spy this whole time.

"You- you've been the one feeding information to him?" Marinette whispered. "Oh my god, you're an akuma!"

"Took you long enough," the traitor spat. "Now, I will kill every person in this room until you hand over those miraculouses. Tick tock."

I reached for my ring.

"You bitch!" Marinette spat. (Oops! There goes my no-swearing policy) "This whole time, you've been pretending to care! You're the reason why Alya's dead and Lila's dead and you snuck off to worn Hawkmoth just before Manon died and- and-" Her expression darkened.

"Nathaniel. You stabbed him. I found him in a pile of blood! You sick, backstabbing bitch!"

Marinette lit a fireball in her hand. I summoned my cataclysm, only to be thrust back off the balcony by an invisible force. Time slowed as I fell into the screaming crowds of people below. Marinette was beside me, still in shock. My uncle stood over us, his hand outstretched, without a glint of sorrow in his eyes. He hated me.

The impact on the marble floor was disorientating. I lay there for who knows how long, the voices around me ringing. Everything blended into one another, shifting and spinning. I heard grunts and the stampede of people as they fled to safety. The room had emptied. I heard sounds of blasts and groans, but they seemed so far away. I could just close my eyes and sleep...

"Adrien! Adrien he's right over you! Wake up, chaton! Please!"

Marinette... Marinette... What are you saying?

"Wake up!"

Oh.

I opened my eyes.

Marinette had somehow managed to stay upright during the fall and was now singlehandedly taking on two villains. Nino was twitching on the other side of the floor. I shakily got to my feet, my vision spinning. I tried to summon my power of destruction, but nothing came to my hand.

He had taken my ring while I was unconscious.

Marinette was weakening. I didn't know what to do, so I ran at my uncle and shoved him to the floor. God, my head hurts. Everything seemed so surreal.

"You just won't die, will you nephew?" Hawkmoth snarled from the ground. He opened his hand and I saw the darkness in it. With one touch he would destroy me. Marinette was screaming. I was so dizzy. There was only one thought going through my brain. I had had the happiest year of my life.

I had met Marinette in the woods and Ladybug at the ball. I had started school and met Nino and Alya. I had started the stall with Mari and fallen in love with her not once but twice. I helped a family. I kissed the girl I loved under the stars. Despite all the betrayals and deaths and goodbyes, this year was beautiful. Because what comes with sorrow is the experience of happiness in the first place.

It would not be so bad to die here.

But someone pulled Hawkmoth off of me. Nino had returned to consciousness with a sudden burst of strength.

"Not this friend," I heard him say.

Nino threw my uncle into the wall and began rapidly chanting.

"Scrios an chloch! Lig dom chuid eile. Faigh réidh leis an olc. Aimhriú a bás!"

With an surge of power, the butterfly miraculous exploded. My uncle collapsed to the floor. Queen Bee's lashes disappeared. Her magic was tied to Hawkmoth's. I glanced over my shoulder to see her flee. Marinette had a shield up from the ground. Her nose was bleeding.

Nino was glaring at my uncle. Th old man whimpered.

"Please..."

Nino did not relent.

"For Alya."

And with a swift flick of his hand, Hawkmoth was dead.

MLBMLBMLB

"You okay kid?"

I gasped.

"You actually care!"

"Well, my life is tied to yours."

"Nope, you can never take that back. Plagg actually cares about someone!"

"Forget I asked."

I laughed. It was a good day. My father had graciously not killed my, seeing as I was killing an evil guy. Fèlix didn't really seem to care. I had a sneaking suspicion he had known the whole time but was too scared to say anything.

Nino had retrieved my ring and we had set off to find the elusive Marinette. She should be celebrating! Her curse was gone!

We found her crying in the courtyard. Tikki floated beside her.

"Mari! Marinette, what's wrong?" Nino ran to her. A cold feeling of dread settled on me.

She sobbed uncontrollably.

"Mari, we did it! You're okay!"

She kept crying. Tikki floated up to me.

"Nino, when you broke your destiny, what happened?"

"My... my kwami, Coren, died."

Tikki gestured to herself, who was very much not dead.

We killed Hawmoth. His curse remained. Marinette's destiny was unchanged.

She was going to fall asleep tomorrow.

 **I didn't update last week because I was super busy! So sorry! To compensate, this heartbreaking chapter is super long for all your angsty needs. The sleeping beauty part is coming guys! I know, it seems impossible but it is!**

 **I enjoyed that Nino was the one who killed Hawkmoth. I mean, after Alya it seemed so perfect.**

 **The random language that I wrote the spells** it **is not, in fact, chicken scratch! It's Irish, which I kinda speak (Emphasis on kinda). Shoutout to Google Translate for helping a native Irishwoman speak her own language!**


	43. Chapter 43

My last day was upon me and for the life of me, I couldn't stop pacing the wooden floor of my bedroom.

I should be spending my last moments with my parents, who were downstairs crying, or Adrien, who I had rushed out on last night. I should not be moping and be grieving on my own. I rambled on about anything and everything to Tikki, who looked on in sorrow. My fingers itched to pull out my needles from the box under my bed but I was strong enough to resist the urge. I could tell that if I saw one I would instinctively push the tip of my finger against the sharp point and I would be gone forever.

Tikki flew over me.

"Marinette, you should talk to your parents."

"I know," I sniffed through tears and snot. "But I can't let them see me like this. Tikki, I'm scared."

Tikki's blue eyes softened more than I thought they ever could. She floated down and sat on my shoulder, nuzzling close to me.

"I know, I know."

It took another hour for me to drag myself downstairs. I could hear Maman and Papa's sniffles from the top step. I made my way down, expecting the last step to creak like it always did.

It didn't.

Maman stood and ran to me, embracing me in a tight hug. Another set of large arms surrounded us. I let my parents hug me, knowing that this would be the last time they would be able to.

"Happy Birthday," Maman whispered tearfully in my ear.

"I love you," I whispered to them in return, and then my Papa smiled sadly.

"We love you too."

Happy birthday to me.

MLBMLBMLB

I kept waiting for Adrien, expecting him to show up. He never did. Every sound of the wind whistling or a tree creaking lifted my spirits, only for them to me dashed into pieces. But every time my heart calmed I could swear I could hear his light footsteps and feel his presence. I lay in my bed and groaned.

I had only managed to face my parents for a couple of minutes. I didn't want to keep saying goodbye over and over and over again. So the last time I would ever see my parents was as I returned to my room, me saying that I loved them for one final time. Then I returned up the non-creaky stairs and shut myself in my room.

Tikki was sitting on my bed in silence. I clutched my knees and waited for my fate to play out, watching her blue eyes gaze at the wall. I suddenly realized that she shared my fate. This whole year, I had been thinking of only me, never even considering the fact that our lives were linked. Judging from her expression, she had already worked it out.

A sob escaped my pressed lips as my hand flew up to my mouth.

"Oh, Tikki!"

Tikki looked at me, her eyes bloodshot.

"I am so sorry-" I gushed. "I was so busy thinking about myself that I- this isn't- oh my god I am such a terrible friend and-"

"Marinette. It's okay."

"No, it's not! Tikki, you don't deserve this!"

"I've had since the day we were born to prepare myself, Mari. It's been a good life. I'm just sorry that you couldn't experience it to the fullest."

I wanted to protest, but I knew how stubborn she was. She wouldn't let me blame myself for her death, or sleep.

I walked over to my open bedroom window and looked out. The street was filled with people smiling and laughing, rejoicing under Hawkmoth's demise. There were flowers in every color under the sun-strewn across the pavement. The light from the midday sun glistened on the puddles from last night's spell of rain, reflecting the blue sky with wisps of clouds. I closed my eyes and felt the cool fresh air travel along my sinuses like a new breath of life.

These were the streets where I grew up. Where I played hero with Alya and kissed Adrien. This was the city which I defended, protected and called home. This was the Paris where families were created and life was lived.

And although my life was coming to a close, it was still a good one. I had lived to see Paris come to peace once more.

"I want to say something that I hardly ever say to you," I turned to her, my eyes brimming with tears. "Thank you."

Thank you for everything, friend.

MLBMLBMLB

At six o'clock I allowed myself to hope. Six more hours. I hadn't pricked my finger. Maybe I could survive. Tikki was sleeping as the sun set in hues of red and oranges. This could be my last sunset.

I sat cross-legged under my window and watched the sky alight. I yearned to reach for my sewing kit, telling myself that I would be careful. I haven't pricked myself in ages. I felt my eyes drag over to behind the dresser, where I had concealed it. I subconsciously shuffled over, closer and closer.

There was a quick tap on my door which shuck me to my senses. Without a word from me, Chloè Bourgeouis entered my room. I was confused.

"What are you doing here?" I said sharply. She pit on a tone of mock hurt.

"I wouldn't want to miss my friend's death day now, would I?" There was something about her tone which felt familiar. The snarkiness, the sarcasm. I just couldn't put my finger on it.

"How do you know about that?"

She laughed coldly and I felt like I was missing something.

"Oh, poor, poor Marinette. Stupid as usual."

"Cut to the chase, Chloè."

Chloè strode over to my bed and threw herself down on it. I winced as the bed which Maman had spent an hour dressing was thrown off-balance by the blonde haired brat. I rose from the floor. Chloè gazed at her nails.

"You really do mess up my plans, Ladybug."

My breath spread up. How did she know so much? My heart raced as I tried to solve the puzzle. Chloè made her way over to my dresser and seemed to be intent with re-arranging the few possessions I had placed on it. I suddenly noticed her comb. Oh, I knew that comb. It was Queenie's akumatized object, or her miraculous as she had tried to pass it off as. So that meant...

"Queen Bee. This whole time, you've been right in front of me."

Chloè smirked as she turned around.

"The idiot finally figures it out."

Before I could do anything, she grabbed my wrist.

"You caused me to lose everything I've worked for. Now it's your turn."

Chloè threw me back and strolled out of the room.

I looked at my dresser which she had been frantically re-organizing. On it lay a silver needle.

My blood roared. I couldn't stop walking to it. I felt every piece of me yelling at every other piece of me as the silver glint drew closer and closer. I stood over it and picked it up. For a second, I held the instrument of demise in my hand. I wasn't dead. I sighed with relief. Then, my fingers fumbled. The needle slipped in my hand and I caught it, but I felt a sharp pinprick of pain.

I let the needle fall to the floor as I stared at the drop of my own red blood glistening on my finger.

My mind went fuzzy as I fell to the floor. As I fell through the air I caught a glimpse of the sunset again.

It really was quite beautiful.

Everything was darkening. I felt myself slowly slipping away.

I was reminded of a lullaby my mother sang to me and every mother in the world san to their child.

 _Rockabye baby, on the treetop._

 _When the wind blows, the cradle will rock._

 _When the bow breaks, the cradle will fall_

 _And down will come baby,_

 _Cradle and all..._

 **The end. Just kidding. We're nearly there people! Home stretch!**

 **I feel like this was rushed, but what can you do when it's midnight and my eyes burn please let me sleep it hurts.**


	44. Chapter 44

By the time I got there it was too late.

Working up the courage to see Marinette took the whole day, mainly because I hate goodbyes; My mother's death had taught me that much. I spent the entire time pacing and trying to string together some final words. Plagg watched me in silence. For once my irritating kwami had nothing to annoy me with.

Eventually I just left. The sun was setting at that point and there were guards at every door, but none of them tried to stop me. They just let me walk straight out. My family had gone through a trauma and nobody knew I was the one who was responsible for uncle's death. Honestly, no one seemed to care. I was beginning to suspect that not even my father or my cousin liked him anyways.

The paved streets of Paris were happy today. The people had been freed of the man who caused the grief and cast them into poverty. My father's taxes were still high, but his people could finally get by with coins to spare. Manon's family and Marinette's family and every other poverty stricken household in this damned city could have a small weight lifted off their tired shoulders. There would be less staying up until morning hours to scrape together enough money for the irregular taxes.

A glimmer of hope. That was what all the blood was shed for. And that glimmer of hope and comfort was worth it.

But it wasn't enough to save Marinette. When I arrived at her house, her tearful parents answered the door. It was dark out and the cold surrounded me; crushing me. The words "Is she gone?" Spilled and tumbled out of my mouth. Sabine gave a quick nod, and my entire world crumbled.

My breathing sped up, my heart pounded in my chest and a lump rose in my throat, strangling me for the inside. My eyes burned. This was the worst feeling, even trumping the emotion of inevitability which had been a sinking pit in my stomach all day. But then I thought I would have the chance to see her again, to tell her I loved her, to tell her I would never forget her. Instead, she must have thought I had abandoned her in her last moments and I hadn't bothered to say goodbye.

I never said goodbye.

"Can I see her?" I shuffled on my feet, trying to hold myself together. Tom had his large arm wrapped around Sabine as he nodded tensely and gestured towards the stairs. I climbed up and made my way to her room. There she was, lying tucked into her clean white sheets. Tikki curled up on the pillow beside her.

Marinette slept silently, her chest slowly moving up and down. Her black hair was untied and laid out on the pillow. Her nightdress peaked out from under the blankets. I doubt Marinette had just happened to fall asleep in such a graceful position. Sabine amd Tom must have moved her there after. Alongside the panic and desperation, a new emotion formed. I felt a bubbling rage in the bottom of my stomach. I wanted to kill my uncle all over again but for all my holding in I couldn't help but let the tears flow as I knelt beside her. She looked like she was dead and she was as good as. She would always be captured in this moment until the end of time. She would never age or open her bluebell eyes again.

Plagg, who had remained silent the entire time, finally spoke up.

"It's time to say goodbye, kid."

I nodded. I peeled myself off the floor and picked up her hand.

"Hey, Mari. I...I don't know what to say. This past year has been...spectacular. I loved every moment if it. And...And...It was all because of you. I miss you and...and...and..."

My voice failed me. The lump had grown and grown and overwhelmed me until I couldn't breathe, but I managed to finish my sentence.

"I love you, Ladybug."

I bent down and pressed my lips against hers one last time.

But I felt a shift in her breath as I pulled away. There was a small gasp and her eyelids fluttered. For a second I saw a small glimpse of blue behind the long black lashes.

"Plagg!" I gasped. "Plagg, did you-"

"Yeah, kid. That just happened. But how? I mean, the only thing which could wake her up would be a seriously strong burst of power and-"

The cat kwami's voice cut off.

"Your ring. If you give it to her, it'll-"

"Be such a strong burst of power that it'll wake her up!" I was already slipping the ring off. The kiss had temporarily combined us, but not long enough and not powerful enough to wake her up fully. I took her hand and slipped on the ring to her ring-finger.

For a split second, there was nothing.

Then, a flash of blinding red light. I closed my eyes to shield myself, and in the darkness I heard a gasp. Then,

"Adrien?"

My eyes opened to meet hers. Green met the blue and my heart rose up from the pits of despair.

I laughed. She smiled.

"I'm awake! Oh my god I'm awake! How the-"

"Combining the two miraculouses gave you such a shock that it broke the spell. Mari, you're awake!"

I heard the stomping of footsteps and the sprint of two desperate parents. I stood aside as the Dupain-Chengs embraced their curse free daughter. There was the happy mixture of tears and laughter.

But it was soon cut short. Plagg was floating over by the pillow, staring solemnly into a pile of red ash where Tikki used to lie. The same happened to Nino's kwami when he broke his fate. Marinette was destined to sleep forever- and when she woke up...

Marinette realized this when she glanced over to her pillow. The relieved and overjoyed smile faded from her face, replaced by the distraughtness of loss.

"No... no... no please."

Her scream was the worst thing I had ever had to experience. She sobbed out and cried. Sabine embraced her, rocking her back and forth until Marinette's shriek had been reduced to a sniffle against her mother's blouse.

Tikki was gone.

MLBMLBMLB

When Tikki's scarlet ashes had been carefully swept up into a vial, which Marinette strung a string though and tied around her neck, I departed. She was still crying when I was forced to excuse myself from the Dupain-Cheng's happy reunion. For one, I figured her parents would want some time alone with their daughter and, two, I realised I needed to talk to my father. I dreaded it.

The feeling of dread lasted as I knocked on his chamber door. There was no answer. I knocked again. And again. Finally, the door swung open to reveal my annoyed father, whose irritated expression changed to passive aggressive when he saw me.

He said "What is it, son?" in a dull voice. I scowled.

"Did you know?" I asked, glaring at my feet. My shoes had been covered with mud and filth.

My father reluctantly gestured for me to enter. I walked over to the chair by the window and, without taking my eyes off him, repeated myself.

"Did you know?"

"Yes," he said. "Why do you think I allowed his rule to continue?"

I wasn't surprised as much as disappointed.

"I don't know." I snapped. "Why? You let your people starve, you let people die... What is your reason? There is no reason that can validate you standing by!" My voice grew to a roar.

My father winced at my temper, probably afraid of the gossip which would spread from the nearby staff.

"Adrien..." he warned, but I cut him off.

"Don't bother. I'm leaving anyways. Tonight. Find a new prince, because I don't want this stinking kingdom and I never have."

I stormed out of the room, and as I left I heard the a faint mumble.

"He was my brother."

I turned one last time.

"And I was your son."

MLBMLBMLB

Marinette was crying.

"I'm sorry, Adrien, I can't just leave my family."

I had asked her to leave with me, to escape this city filled with painful memories.

"Please, Mari. You're all I have left in this city. Come with me." I grabbed her hand. A tear slipped though her eye.

"It's not that I don't want to come with you, but I have a life here. My parents, my friends. Life cant just go on hold because a few people died."

"But-"

"I love you, Adrien." She squeezed my hand and smiled sadly. "I always will. Maybe one day, we'll find each other again. But this is my choice."

She slipped the ring off her finger and gave it back to me.

"I'll find you."

The lump from earlier in the day swelled once more as she leant in and kissed my cheek. The last I saw of her, she had turned around to go back into the bakery. The cold black ring burned against my palm like a kiss.

MLBMLBMLB

I started walking. I was angry and sad and lonely, all at the same time. Eventually I reached the city's boundary and I screamed.

Marinette hadn't left me, she just didn't leave with me. Technically, I was the one leaving her. I didn't blame her, but I couldn't help but feel bitter.

"Hey kid," Plagg reassured me. "It's not you. She does love you. It's just-"

"She loves her parents more."

"Don't blame her, kid. You'll see each other again."

I sighed, my breath rising in the night air. There wasn't a sound other than our breaths. The world was still and waiting in anticipation.

"I hope so, Plagg."

i still hadn't stepped over the border. For some reason, it was hard to let go of the thing I had wanted to be rid of my whole life.

"Let go, Adrien." Plagg glided up to my shoulder and patted my cheek. I was surprised at the contact. Then I realised why. Once I stepped over the border, I would break my destiny. And then...

"You know, all those times I called you an idiot," Plagg said. "I didn't mean them. I've always cared about you, kid, and I know I can be annoying, but it's true. I hope you have a good life, with or without Marinette, and that you finally get the destiny you want."

My chest panged as I sobbed out.

"No...no...Plagg...I can't..."

"Go kid. Live your life."

Plagg glided down from my shoulder and his eyes watched as I took the step. There was a blinding green light, where every nerve in my body felt like it was on fire, but in a good way. I felt like I was taking my first breath of air all over again. A burden which I couldn't even feel was lifted. As it cleared, I saw a cloud of black ashes scatter in the wind.

Goodbye Plagg.

Goodbye Paris.

 **I swear to god if someone spoils The Last Jedi like my friend spoiled The Force Awakens I will punch them in the face and hope my punch breaks their face.**


	45. Epilogue

It took years for me to find him again.

I finished school, spent a year helping my parents and then decided it was time. My search began to find the lost Prince of Paris. As I walked out of the city, I couldn't help but think about everything I had gone through. From curses to warlocks to enchanted stones, I should have hated my home. But I saw past the bad an looked towards the good, like playing in the courtyard with Alya or listening to Nino's songs or staying up late to sew. I saw beauty in the streets which ran red with blood. I saw pretty flowers blossoming from the graves and ivy creeping up the stone castle.

With the money I had saved from the market, I embarked on a trip to find Adrien. I hoped he would wait for me, and he did.

He ran a bakery. I smiled, remembering the first time we met and he brought me back home with nothing but a stick.

I opened the door and a bell rang brightly. The shop was empty except for a set of familiar blonde locks which were leaning over a piece of paper as he scribbled something down. He looked up and said:

"Welcome to Chat Noir's Bakery. How can I-"

The green eyes registered who I was.

"Hey, Kitty." I had said.

Now our daughter plays in the garden. Emma's ten now, and she's the first child ever to be born without a kwami. Occasionally she asks why, and what the vial which I carry around my neck is. We won't tell her until she's older, but one day we will. We'll tell her the story of Nathaniel and Alya and Lila and Fu and Manon and Tikki and Plagg. We'll tell her how Nino fought. We'll tell her how Chloè betrayed us.

She already knows that she is the daughter of the prince, and she has this urge to go back to Paris and claim her throne. Maybe one day she will. But first, we'll tell her the story of the Paris where poverty and death filled the streets and then the story of the Paris where every good thing bloomed. But most importantly, we'll tell her the story of Ladybug and Chat Noir. We'll tell her the story about the two young people who fought, fell in love and witnessed so much.

We'll tell her how we ran from fate.

Someday, but not today.

 **And they lived happily ever after.**

 **PLEASE READ THIS END NOTE.**

 **I'm actually crying right now.**

 **This stupid fanfiction has meant so much to me over the past year. Yes, I've been writing this for a year because one day I randomly came up with the idea and, without a plan or any consideration, I dove right in and published the first chapter. I got a response from you guys. It inspired me to keep going.**

 **I've learned a lot about my skills as a writer and I'm more confident now. I think I've improved so much and I am really proud of my development. My dream has always been to become a published writer, and this fanfiction has brought me a step closer. I learned that you need to plan things and always check your grammar, along with other vital skills.**

 **Of course, I strayed from the whole "Sleeping Beauty AU" part, but you know what? I like it. It was inspired by thousands of things and yeah, the sleeping curse was in there. I think it's more than a sleeping beauty AU at this point.**

 **But most importantly, thank you to you readers. You are the ones who kept me going, in spite of my early on grammar issues and stupidity. You are the ones who inspired me to keep writing these, what, 44 chapters? So a big THANK YOU to you guys. I love** e **very one of you who reviewed or followed or favorited or even just read it.**

 **In fact, I may have a sequel in the works! You may notice how Chloè didn't die... And Emma seems drawn to the throne... See where I'm going?**

 **So look out for it! If it does happen, I'll let you know. Of course, I'll plan it this time.**

 **But for now, Running From Fate draws to a close.**

 **Thank you for following this to the end. I loved writing it.**

 **Goodbye (for now),**

 **Akumatizedpancake.**


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